By Lance Jennings
MARCH 17, 2026… After two nights of hard fought racing at Imperial, the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Cars are ready to tackle Perris Auto Speedway, this Saturday, March 21st. Located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds, the ½-mile oval will also host the PASSCAR Super Stocks, PASSCAR Street Stocks and the PASSCAR American Factory Stocks. Located at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in Perris, California, the Spectator Gates at “America’s Premier Dirt Track” will open at 5:00pm and racing is scheduled for 7:05pm. 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: The Hoosier 105/16 Medium or Medium 1 will be the only approved right rear tire. Only SC12 left rear tires will be permitted and front tires must be Hoosier.
– 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.
– RULE BOOK: The series rule book is online at usacracing.com.
– ROLLS SCAFFOLD 360 CHALLENGE: The top finishing 360 Sprint Car is eligible for an extra $360 per night if they finish in the top-six. If there are multiple 360s in the top-six, then the bonus will go to the highest finishing 360 in that main event. If the award is not claimed, then the pot will increase by an additional $360 at the next race until there is a winner. Once the bonus is earned, the process will start over until it is won again. If the award has not been won or whatever money is left over at season’s end will then be divided among the top three in points running a 360 engine.
Since March 6, 2004, Perris Auto Speedway has hosted 270 USAC/CRA Sprint Car events and forty-eight drivers have claimed “home track” victories. Ten-time champion, “The Demon” Damion Gardner leads all series drivers with fifty-one Perris wins and current point leader R.J. Johnson raced to victory on February 14th. 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.
Heading to the fifth point race, two-time and defending series champion R.J. Johnson of Laveen, Arizona leads the USAC/CRA standings by 29 points. Driving the Petty Performance Racing #1P Avanti Windows & Doors / Apache Transport Sherman, Johnson ran second last Friday and fifth the following night at Imperial. To date, the multi-time Arizona Sprint Car Champion has one feature win, three Woodland Auto Display Fast Time wins, one heat race victory, four top-10 finishes, and 8 feature laps led to his credit. Currently tied with Bryan Clauson and Ricky Lewis with twelve career wins, the second generation driver will be looking for another triumph at Perris.
After running third and second at Imperial Valley Raceway, San Diego, California’s A.J. Bender has climbed to second in the chase for the USAC/CRA championship. Piloting the Kim & Richard Bender #21 Rolls Scaffold / Matrix Construction Services DRC, Bender has one heat race victory, one hard charger award, four top-10 finishes, and 24 feature laps led in the campaign. The former Turkey Night Grand Prix 360 Sprint Car winner lost Saturday’s race by 0.034 seconds and will have his sights on the second series win of his career.
“The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams of Yorba Linda, California is third in the USAC/CRA point standings. Racing the Tom & Christy Dunkel #17W Inland Rigging / Maxima Oil Triple X, Williams claimed a fourth and sixteenth place finishes at the Imperial Valley Fairgrounds. To date, “The Big Game Hunter” has posted three top-10 finishes and is currently tied with Ryan Bernal and Matt Mitchell with eleven career wins. The 2009 Co-Rookie of the Year will be looking for his first win of the season this Saturday night.
Peoria, Arizona’s Connor Lundy sits fourth in USAC/CRA championship point chase. Racing the family owned #97 Apache Transport / Jugo Superfoods Sherman, Lundy scored fifth and sixth at Imperial Valley Raceway. At press time, last season’s rookies of the year has one heat race victory, one hard charger award, and four top-10 finishes to his credit. The second generation driver will have his sights on earning his first career win at Perris.
After winning both main events at Imperial, Ricky Lewis of Camarillo, California has climbed to fifth in the USAC/CRA point standings. The owner/driver of the #41 Mesilla Valley Transportation / Morris Family Farms DRC has also recorded one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, two hard charger awards, three top-10 finishes, and 16 feature laps led on the season. Currently ranked sixth overall with fourteen USAC/CRA wins, Lewis might skip Saturday’s action to race in the Midwest.
Tucson, Arizona’s Wayne Siddle leads the chase for rookie of the year honors over Jim Vanzant, Ricky Kinney Jr., Bryan Whitley, Broedy Graham, and Troy DeGaton.
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are Verne Sweeney, Brecken Guerrero, Dayton Shelton, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr., Connor Speir, Elexa Herrera, Eddie Tafoya Jr., Blake Hendricks, Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm, Jeff Dyer, and more.
Perris Auto Speedway is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in Perris, California. General Admission Adult tickets are $30, Senior tickets (65 & over) are $25, Student tickets (13-17) are $15, Kids tickets (6-12) are $10, Active Military tickets (with ID) are $5, and Children (5 and under) are FREE. The Lake Perris Fairgrounds charges $20 for parking. Advance tickets are available and for more event information, visit the track’s website at perrisautospeedway.com or call 951.940.0134.
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-R.J. Johnson.
2026 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 2-Ricky Lewis, 1-R.J. Johnson, 1-Kevin Thomas Jr.
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-Brody Roa, 8-Richard Vander Weerd, 7-R.J. Johnson, 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-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, 2-Blake Miller, 2-Mitchel Moles 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.