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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series
Dave Darland & Crew in CSP Victory Circle. Photo by Terry Shaw / TKA Photography.
DAVE DARLAND SCORES FRIDAY USAC OPENER AT CANYON
By Lance Jennings
PEORIA, AZ – OCTOBER 28, 2012… Taking the lead from Kevin Thomas Jr. on lap eighteen, "The People's Champion" Dave Darland won last Friday's 30-lap feature at Canyon Speedway Park. The $5,000 "Hall of Fame Classic" opening night victory marked the sixth career Amsoil USAC/CRA victory for the veteran Indiana driver as Bryan Clauson, Thomas, fast qualifier Mike Spencer, and Robert Ballou rounded out the top five drivers.
In the first of four co-sanctioned main events with the USAC National Series, pole-sitter Kevin Thomas Jr. grabbed the early lead. Clauson, who swept last year's Hall of Fame Classic, quickly dropped Darland to third with Ballou, Spencer, and Hunter Schuerenberg in pursuit. Despite several yellow flags in the early going, Thomas held strong on the bottom groove as he looked for his first Arizona victory .
Clauson experimented with the outside groove, but the move proved costly. Darland slipped underneath and began to reel in Thomas. By lap eighteen, Darland was ready to strike as the leader slid wide in the second turn. Getting a better drive off the bottom, Dave shot to the lead and began to run away from the field. Clauson managed to power by Thomas for second, but the night belonged to Darland, who took the checkered flags with a one second advantage.
Piloting Jeff Walker's #11 Jeff's Jam-It-In Storage / Hoosier Tire Maxim, Dave Darland of Lincoln, Indiana won his 40th career USAC National main event. Qualifying sixth out of the thirty-two car field, the current USAC point leader ran fourth in his heat race. With the Canyon win, Darland actually lost one point to Clauson as the tight point chase heads down to the wire.
Noblesville, Indiana's Bryan Clauson had to settle for second in the #7 CTR/BCI/Curb/Agajanian Maxim. Qualifying fifth overall, Clauson scored the 8-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1 victory. Bryan closed out the Friday night show twenty-two points behind Darland.
Earning the program's LRB Inc. Race Products Award with a third place run was Kevin Thomas Jr. of Cullman, Alabama. Driving the Black Jack Racing #9K Black Jack Oil Company / Indy Metal Finishing Spike, Thomas timed in seventh fast on the night and won the DJ Safety Heat Race #3. Kevin led seventeen laps before falling to Darland and sits tenth in the USAC National point chase.
Temecula, California's Mike Spencer set a new track record on Friday night and earned his twelfth Sander Engineering / Rod End Supply Fast Time Award. Piloting Ron Chaffin's famed #50 Madera Produce / Grubstake Mini Storage Maxim, Spencer ran fifth in his heat race and placed second in a hard fought semi-main. Starting seventh in the feature, the USAC/CRA point leader earned his nineteenth top-5 finish with a fourth place run.
"The Madman" Robert Ballou of Rocklin, California claimed fifth in the 30-lap feature. Driving the MPHG Promotions #81 Rossie Feed & Grain / Maxim Chassis entry, Ballou qualified fourth and placed fourth in his heat race. The former Sprint Bandits TnT Champion sits eighth in USAC National points heading to the Saturday Canyon finale.
"The Bear" Chris Windom of Canton, Illinois earned the night's Ringers Gloves / Keizer Wheels "Hard Charger / Best Passing Job" honors with an eighth place run after starting nineteenth. Piloting the Tony Stewart/Curb/Agajanian #20 Chevy Performance Maxim, Windom was twenty-second quick in time trials and won the Saldana Racing Products / Circle Track Performance Heat Race #2. Subbing for Levi Jones, "The Bear" is looking to break into the top ten in USAC National points.
San Jose, California's Thomas Meseraull won the SBI Fuel Systems / Integra Racing Shocks Heat Race #4. Driving the Baldwin Brothers Racing #5X Fox Paving / Claxton Racing Engines Maxim, "T-Mez" qualified eighth and finished seventh in the main event.
"The Shermanator" Jeremy Sherman of Surprise, Arizona won the hotly contested 12-lap Competition Suspension Inc. / Diversified Machine Inc. Semi-Main over Mike Spencer and Nic Faas. All three drivers led at one point, but the pilot of the Kittle Motorsports #18 Pace Lighting / PJ1 Sherman claimed victory from tenth. Jeremy qualified twenty-sixth overall, placed eighth in his heat race, and scored nineteenth in the feature.
The Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series would like to thank Hoosier Tire, Circle Track Performance, Competition Suspension Inc., DJ Safety, Diversified Machine Inc., Extreme Mufflers, Hilborn Fuel Injection, Integra Racing Shocks, Keizer Wheels, LRB Inc. Race Products, Ringers Gloves, Rod End Supply, SBI Fuel Systems, Saldana Racing Products, and Sander Engineering for their support.
For more information on the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series, visit www.usacracing.com/cra or follow the series on Facebook (www.facebook.com/pages/USAC-CRA-Sprint-Car-Series/167535183297971) or Twitter (www.twitter.com/#!/USAC_CRA).
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AMSOIL USAC NATIONAL & USAC/CRA SPRINT RACE RESULTS:
October 26, 2012 – Peoria, Arizona – Canyon Speedway Park - Parker Stores “Hall of Fame Classic”
SANDER ENGINEERING / ROD END SUPPLY TIME TRIALS:
1. Mike Spencer, 50, Chaffin-13.545 (New Track Record); 2. Hunter Schuerenberg, 35, Byrum-13.583; 3. Damion Gardner, 71, DG-13.703; 4. Robert Ballou, 81, MPHG-13.719; 5. Bryan Clauson, 7, Tucker/BCI/Curb-Agajanian-13.739; 6. Dave Darland, 11, Walker-13.783; 7. Kevin Thomas Jr., 9K, Black Jack-13.854; 8. Thomas Meseraull, 5X, Baldwin-13.914; 9. Tracy Hines, 4, Hines-13.931; 10. Nic Faas, 4X, Alexander-13.966; 11. Josh Hodges, 74X, Hodges-13.984; 12. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-14.007; 13. Jon Stanbrough, 21X, Leer-14.040; 14. Bruce St. James, 7K, St. James-14.042; 15. Cory Kruseman, 7X, Priestley-14.043; 16. Chase Stockon, 32, Stockon-14.046; 17. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-14.060; 18. Charles Davis Jr., 4G, Cook-14.111; 19. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-14.179; 20. Rip Williams, 3, Jory-14.200; 21. Ronnie Clark, 6, Clark-14.231; 22. Chris Windom, 20, Stewart/Curb-Agajanian-14.238; 23. R.J. Johnson, 51, Martin-14.250; 24. Casey Shuman, 2A, Yeley-14.312; 25. Wes McIntyre, 5, Baldwin-14.321; 26. Jeremy Sherman, 18, Kittle-14.339; 27. Josh Pelkey, 4JR, Regals-14.405; 28. Tom Ogle, 48, Ogle-14.543; 29. Dalton Gabbard, 77, Gabbard-14.581; 30. Mike Martin, 16, Martin-14.661; 31. Stevie Sussex, 1, Sussex-14.729; 32. Michael Dayney, 3D, Dayney-15.242.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE 1: (8 laps)
1. Bryan Clauson, 2. Jon Stanbrough, 3. Tracy Hines, 4. Wes McIntyre, 5. Mike Spencer, 6. Ronnie Clark, 7. Cody Williams, 8. Dalton Gabbard. 1:53.87
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE HEAT RACE 2: (8 laps)
1. Chris Windom, 2. Charles Davis Jr., 3. Hunter Schuerenberg, 4. Dave Darland, 5. Nic Faas, 6. Bruce St. James, 7. Mike Martin, 8. Jeremy Sherman. 1:53.54
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE 3: (8 laps)
1. Kevin Thomas Jr., 2. R.J. Johnson, 3. Damion Gardner, 4. Austin Williams, 5. Cory Kruseman, 6. Josh Hodges, 7. Stevie Sussex, 8. Josh Pelkey. 1:55.52
SBI FUEL SYSTEMS / INTEGRA RACING SHOCKS HEAT RACE 4: (8 laps)
1. Thomas Meseraull, 2. Chase Stockon, 3. Brody Roa, 4. Robert Ballou, 5. Rip Williams, 6. Casey Shuman, 7. Tom Ogle, 8. Michael Dayney. 1:55.45
COMPETITION SUSPENSION INC. / DIVERSIFIED MACHINE INC. SEMI-MAIN: (12 laps)
1. Jeremy Sherman, 2. Mike Spencer, 3. Nic Faas, 4. Josh Hodges, 5. Rip Williams, 6. Cory Kruseman, 7. Bruce St. James, 8. Casey Shuman, 9. Josh Pelkey, 10. Tom Ogle, 11. Ronnie Clark, 12. Dalton Gabbard, 13. Mike Martin, 14. Michael Dayney, 15. Stevie Sussex, 18. Cody Williams. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps - With Starting Positions)
1. Dave Darland (2nd), 2. Bryan Clauson (3rd), 3. Kevin Thomas Jr. (1st), 4. Mike Spencer (7th), 5. Robert Ballou (4th), 6. Tracy Hines (9th), 7. Thomas Meseraull (8th), 8. Chris Windom (19th), 9. Josh Hodges (11th), 10. Damion Gardner (5th), 11. Cory Kruseman (14th), 12. Chase Stockon (15th), 13. Jon Stanbrough (13th), 14. R.J. Johnson (20th), 15. Charles Davis Jr. (16th), 16. Rip Williams (18th), 17. Nic Faas (10th), 18. Wes McIntyre (21st), 19. Jeremy Sherman (22nd), 20. Hunter Schuerenberg (6th), 21. Austin Williams (17th), 22. Brody Roa (12th), 23. Cody Williams (23rd-DNS). NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-17 Kevin Thomas Jr., Laps 18-30 Dave Darland.
RINGERS GLOVES / KEIZER WHEELS HARD CHARGER: Chris Windom (19th to 8th)
LRB INC. RACE PRODUCTS AWARD: Kevin Thomas Jr.
NEW AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT POINTS:
1-Mike Spencer-1,292, 2-Nic Faas-921, 3-Brody Roa-900, 4-Ryan Bernal-816, 5-Rip Williams-814, 6-Austin Williams-775, 7-Cory Kruseman-724, 8-Cody Williams-619, 9-David Cardey-465, 10-Matt Mitchell-461.
NEW AMSOIL USAC NATIONAL SPRINT POINTS:
1-Dave Darland-1,942, 2-Bryan Clauson-1,920, 3-Jon Stanbrough-1,853, 4-Tracy Hines-1,735, 5-Damion Gardner-1,669, 6-Chase Stockon-1,629, 7-Levi Jones-1,615, 8-Robert Ballou-1,600, 9-Hunter Schuerenberg-1,554, 10-Kevin Thomas Jr.-1,513.
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