By Lance Jennings
SEPTEMBER 23, 2025… With fifteen points between defending champion R.J. Johnson and Ricky Lewis, the battle for the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Championship will resume this Saturday, September 27th at Perris Auto Speedway. Promoted by Don Kazarian, the seventeenth point race will also feature the PASSCAR Super Stocks, PASSCAR American Factory Stocks, and Western Racing Association (WRA) Vintage Cars. 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 265 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 four Perris features, David Gasper took the April 1st event, Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm claimed the July 19th victory, and R.J. Johnson won the September 13th “So-Cal Showdown.” The complete Perris USAC/CRA win list is at the end of this release.
Driving the Petty Performance Racing #33P Avanti Windows & Doors / Apache Transport Sherman, R.J. Johnson of Laveen, Arizona earned his first USAC/CRA win of the year on September 13th at Perris. To date, the point leader has five Woodland Auto Display / WC Friend Company Access Systems Fast Time Awards, seven heat race victories, fourteen top-10 finishes, and 61 feature laps led on the season. Currently tied with Ryan Bernal, Nic Faas, Mike Kirby, and “The Ripper” Rip Williams with ten wins, the multi-time Arizona Sprint Car Champion will be looking for another win at Perris Auto Speedway.
During his first full season with USAC/CRA, Ricky Lewis of Oxnard, California has won eight of the first sixteen races on the year. Ranked second in points, the owner/driver of the #41 Mesilla Valley Transportation / Morris Family Farms DRC ran second to Johnson at the “So-Cal Showdown.” At press time, Lewis also has two Woodland Auto Display / WC Friend Company Access Systems Fast Time Awards, two heat race victories, one In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, fourteen top-10 finishes, and 173 feature laps led. Now tied with Bryan Clauson with twelve career USAC/CRA wins, Ricky will be a favorite to watch this Saturday night at Perris.
“The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams of Yorba Linda, California is third in the series point standings. Piloting the Tom & Christy Dunkel #17W Inland Rigging / Maxima Oil DRC, Williams placed seventh at the Lake Perris Fairgrounds. To date, the 2009 Co-Rookie of the Year has recorded 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, fourteen top-10 finishes, and 1 feature lap led to his credit. Currently tied with Matt Mitchell and Ricky Lewis with eleven career wins, “The Big Game Hunter” will be looking for his first victory of the year this Saturday night.
San Diego, California’s A.J. Bender sits fourth in the chase for the USAC/CRA championship. Driving the family owned #21 Rolls Scaffolding / Matrix Construction Services DRC, Bender placed thirteenth in the September 13th main event. At press time, the former Turkey Night Grand Prix Sprint Car winner has four heat race victories, one In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, eleven top-10 finishes, and 5 feature laps led on the year. This Saturday night, A.J. will have his sights on the second win of his career at Perris Auto Speedway.
Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm of Yucaipa, California ranks fifth in the USAC/CRA championship standings. Racing the Dino Napier owned #5X Indiana Truck Salvage / B&B Powder Coating DRC, Malcolm finished fifth in the “So-Cal Showdown.” To date, the veteran driver has one feature win, three heat race victories, one In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, ten top-10 finishes, and 48 feature laps led in the campaign. Tommy is tied with “The People’s Champion” Dave Darland, “Super” Rickie Gaunt, Justin Grant, “Showtime” Danny Sheridan, and “KTJ” Kevin Thomas Jr. with eight victories and will be looking to add another win at Perris.
Peoria, Arizona’s Connor Lundy leads the chase for Rookie of the Year honors over Brecken Guerrero, Connor Speir, Brody Wake, Cole Wakim, Dayton Shelton, Blake Hendricks, Lonnie Oliver, Heath Holdsclaw, Caleb Stelzig, Trenten Shelton, Jacob Tuttle, Lonnie Hochstetler, Colt Treharn, Mark Hanson, Josh Gillis, and Justin Kierce.
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are David Gasper, “Bullet” Blake Bower, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr., Eddie Tafoya Jr., “The Cadillac” Cody Williams, Logan Williams, Verne Sweeney, “The Pride of Garden Grove” Brody Roa, Logan Calderwood, “The Honey Badger” Elexa Herrera, Jeff Dyer, 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: 8-Ricky Lewis, 2-David Gasper, 1-Tommy Malcolm, 1-Kaleb Montgomery, 1-Logan Seavey, 1-Jake Swanson, 1-J.J. Yeley.
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-R.J. Johnson, 5-Ricky Lewis, 5-Tommy Malcolm, 4-Dave Darland, 4-Charles Davis Jr., 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. R.J. Johnson 1085, 2. Ricky Lewis 1070, 3. Austin Williams 912, 4. A.J. Bender 871, 5. Tommy Malcolm 864, 6. David Gasper 766, 7. Blake Bower 742, 8. Charles Davis Jr. 730, 9. Connor Lundy (R) 650, 10. Eddie Tafoya Jr. 583, 11. Cody Williams 567, 12. Logan Williams 498, 13. Verne Sweeney 491, 14. Brody Roa 464, 15. Logan Calderwood 456, 16. Elexa Herrera 415, 17. Brecken Guerrero (R) 402, 18. Connor Speir (R) 377, 19. Brody Wake (R) 362, 20. Jake Swanson 299.