By Lance Jennings
VENTURA, CALIFORNIA – MAY 3, 2026… After contact knocked Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm out of contention with 21 laps completed, Ricky Lewis of Camarillo, California scored his fourth Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car win of the season. Driving the May Motorsports owned #8M RDM Mechanics / Cooper’s Propane entry, Lewis took the $3,500 return at Ventura Raceway and the Rolls Scaffold 360 Challenge. Defending champion, R.J. Johnson, early leader Connor Speir, Bryan Whitley, and Jeff Fillingame chased Ricky to the finish line.
Lewis opened the night by posting the seventh Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award of his career and moves him into a tie with Bryan Clauson. This also marked the fourth time in USAC/CRA history that a 360 powered car was the top qualifier, going back to 2004. Ricky turned his fastest lap with a time of 12.421 seconds over “The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams, Malcolm, A.J. Bender, and “The Radio Flyer” Bruce St. James and the rest of the eighteen car roster.
Former Perris Young Guns Sprint Car Champion, Brecken Guerrero of Westminster, California earned his first heat race win of the year in the 10-lap Sexton Fire Protection sponsored event. Piloting Rachel Guerrero’s #98B Bill’s Jerky / Colder Ice DRC, Brecken finished ahead of Ricky Lewis, Connor Speir, Greg Gorski, Connor Lundy, and A.J. Bender.
The night’s 10-lap Roy Miller Freight Lines Second Heat Race went to Laveen, Arizona’s R.J. Johnson. The driver of the Petty Performance Racing #1P Avanti Windows & Doors / JUGO Superfoods Sherman was followed by “The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams, Jeff Fillingame, “The Radio Flyer” Bruce St. James, Zate Legend, and Kevin Mahoney.
Returning to USAC/CRA action, Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm of Yucaipa, California claimed the 10-lap Rescue Mission Alliance Third Heat Race victory. Racing Dino Napier’s #5X Indiana Truck Salvage / B&B Powder Coating Maxim, Malcolm took the checkered flags over Bryan Whitley, Blake Hendricks, David Perry Jr., Verne Sweeney, and Sean Berardi.
After making his first career USAC/CRA start, David Perry Jr. Camarillo, California earned the night’s Hard Charger Award / “Best Passing Job” honors. The owner / driver of the #27 Ventura Directional Drilling / Hansen’s Welding Maxim raced to a sixth place finish after starting eighteenth and took home an extra $100 courtesy of photographer Steve Lafond.
The Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will travel to Central Arizona Raceway in Casa Grande, Arizona for two nights of action, starting on Friday, May 15th. For more information on the series, visit usacracing.com and the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content on the USAC/CRA Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: May 2, 2026 – Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Ricky Lewis, 8M, May-12.421; 2. Austin Williams, 17W, Dunkel-12.603; 3. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-12.632; 4. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-12.669; 5. Bruce St. James, 1AZ, St. James-12.691; 6. Blake Hendricks, 14, Hendricks-12.705; 7. Connor Speir, 57, Speir-12.713; 8. R.J. Johnson, 1P, Petty-12.743; 9. Bryan Whitley, 22, Whitley-12.770; 10. Connor Lundy, 97, Lundy-12.805; 11. Jeff Fillingame, 17R, Fillingame-12.808; 12. Verne Sweeney, 98, Guerrero-12.811; 13. Brecken Guerrero, 98B, Guerrero-13.175; 14. Zate Legend, Z8, Legend-13.425; 15. David Perry Jr., 27, Perry-13.553; 16. Greg Gorski, 25K, Kruseman-13.600; 17. Kevin Mahoney, 1K, Kruseman-13.863; 18. Sean Berardi, 21K, Kruseman-14.285.
SEXTON FIRE PROTECTION FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, All Cars Transfer To Feature) 1. Brecken Guerrero, 2. Ricky Lewis, 3. Connor Speir, 4. Greg Gorski, 5. Connor Lundy, 6. A.J. Bender. NT.
ROY MILLER FREIGHT LINES SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, All Cars Transfer To Feature) 1. R.J. Johnson, 2. Austin Williams, 3. Jeff Fillingame, 4. Bruce St. James, 5. Zate Legend, 6. Kevin Mahoney. NT.
RESCUE MISSION ALLIANCE THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, All Cars Transfer To Feature) 1. Tommy Malcolm, 2. Bryan Whitley, 3. Blake Hendricks, 4. David Perry Jr., 5. Verne Sweeney, 6. Sean Berardi. NT.
FEATURE: (30 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. Ricky Lewis (6), 2. R.J. Johnson (7), 3. Connor Speir (1), 4. Bryan Whitley (10) 5. Jeff Fillingame (12), 6. David Perry Jr. (18), 7. Austin Williams (5), 8. Zate Legend (14), 9. Greg Gorski (15), 10. Tommy Malcolm (4), 11. Brecken Guerrero (8), 12. Blake Hendricks (2), 13. Verne Sweeney (13), 14. Bruce St. James (3), 15. Sean Beradri (17), 16. Connor Lundy (11), 17. Kevin Mahoney (16), 18. A.J. Bender (9). NT.
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-5 Connor Speir, Laps 6-21 Tommy Malcolm, Laps 22-30 Ricky Lewis.
STEVE LAFOND PHOTOS HARD CHARGER: David Perry Jr. (18 to 6)
NEW AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS:
NEXT AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACE: May 15 – Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, Arizona