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RACING SCENE Column – (PAS Sprints Season Opener) – By Tim Kennedy
Los Angeles, CA.- The 21st open-wheel season at Perris Auto Speedway (PAS) launched on Saturday, March 5, 2016. There was a solid count of 29 AMSOIL USAC-CRA 410 cu. in. sprint cars, ten 360 ci Senior Sprints for drivers age 45+, and five 360 ci Young Gun (ages 14-25) sprints. The event beat the weather forecast of “Big storm expected for weekend.” Internet weather predictions for Saturday in Perris from 4 to 10 pm showed temperatures dropping from 65 to 56 degrees and rain chances increasing from 5% to 10% at 6:00 , 21% at 7 and 8, 26% at 9 and 47% at 10 pm. Strong and chilly wind kept flags billowing all evening.
Some 2,000+ sturdy racing fans braved the dire weather forecast at The PAS and wisely made the correct call. Attendees were rewarded with an excellent night of sprint cars only competition by all three groups. The well-prepared clay half-mile never dried out. It facilitated multi-groove racing and frequent passing (outside & inside) all evening.
PAS management expedited the racing program all evening and decided to run the featured USAC-CRA 30-lap main event prior to the 20-lap Senior Sprint and the concluding 15-lap Young Gun main. The USAC-CRA main event started at 9:02 and had six yellow flags before receiving the checkered flag at 9:25. Most of the fans departed for home and missed the Seniors 9:36 to 9:43 and 9:51 to 9:56 pm Young Guns mains. Both supporting divisions ran close, entertaining races without caution flags.
MEMORIAL LAPS: Following the invocation and National Anthem, memorial laps by four sprint cars for recently deceased racers took place. Cars 50 (Mike Spencer), 51 (R.J. Johnson), 92 (Jake Swanson) and 44 (Cody Williams) ran several slow laps in single file formation. Then they simultaneously ran two hot laps in single file order before pitting. The 50 car represented its late owner Ron Chaffin. The 51 was for Steve Stroud, of the Arizona Racing Hall of Fame in Phoenix, the 92 for team sponsor John Carroll, and the 44 for Ray “Junior” Kurtz, who succumbed to cancer. Kurtz owned the No. 30 Plastic Express USAC Silver Crown car from 1977-86, 1989-92 and in 2015. Chuck Gurney won nine Silver Crown features in the Kurtz No. 30 in the Midwest.
The status of five-time champion Mike Spencer's No. 50 ride is unsettled currently. The crew said the March 5 PAS race could be the final race for the team. Chaffin's sons are involved in running the family business—Madera Produce—and not the race team. The car could be parked or even sold in the future. If someone wanted to take over a turnkey racing operation they should contact the Chaffin family. If an offer to buy the team comes soon Spencer and the crew could stay together and pursue the 2016 USAC-CRA title as a tribute to long-time racer Chaffin. His funeral service in Madera was set for Saturday, March 12.
USAC RULE CHANGES: In 2016 provisional starting positions are based on 2015 season-ending top 20 car owners points AND current 2016 car owner points. Teams in highest position in either year are eligible to use a provisional. Points from 2016 take precedence. After 5/1/2016 only current 2016 top 20 owner points will be eligible for a provisional starting berth at the back of the field.
Points: All feature points have been increased by ten points. All feature non-transfers will receive ten points in addition to all points from qualifying, heat races and semi-feature. Heat races award 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 points. There are rules governing abbreviated programs and events not completed (e.g- inclement weather). Feature races now award 70 points to the winner. Second and lower positions receive 67-64-61-58-55-52-49-46-43-41-39-37-35-33-31-29-27-25-23 to P. 20 and lower positions. So the top three drivers after the PAS March 5 event are: Bryan Clauson (82), Richard VanderWeerd (75), and Brody Roa (70).
PAS has announced something new to benefit fans racing experience. Starting in May, following each main event all competitors will stop on the front straightaway near the finish line after a cool-of lap. Prior to this change only the top three finishers stopped at the finish line for post-race interviews. Fans will be allowed onto the track for autographs and to talk to drivers instead of going into the crowded pits as teams load equipment and race cars onto transporters.
HEATS: Prior to time trials the cars of two feature contenders—Damion Gardner (No. 4) and Dave Darland (No. 42)--had engine problems that prevented them from competing unfortunately. The first of three USAC-CRA ten-lap heat started at 7:12 pm. Winners were: Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm (from pole), R. VanderWeerd (from P. 3), and Arizonan R. J. Johnson (from P. 2).
The first of two Senior Sprint 8-lap heats went to Richard McCormick in Mike Trottochau's No. 16 instead of the No. 71 car he drove to third place in 2015 PAS Senior Sprint final points. Two laps before the finish Richard passed fellow front row starter Jack Hawley, 60, in Chris Gansen's No. 4g second car, a 360. Dwayne Marcum won the second heat and led every lap. The only Young Gun heat had three first-time sprint car racers—Daniel Anderson, 18, Matt McCarthey, 25, and dwarf car dirt track veteran Hannah Mayhew, 20. Her dad sold their No. 43 pink dwarf car and purchased the No. 28 Mike Morin sprinter in Arizona. They put No. 43 on it for Hannah. She is a veteran of numerous seasons on dirt in her pink No. 43 dwarf car. She raced it at Ventura and Orange Show when it was a dirt track in 2012.
FLIPS: There were four wild flips at PAS March 5. Andrew Sweeney, 17, flipped wildly several times entering turn one on his first qualifying lap in Verne Sweeney's No. 98jr. ... During heat two on lap 4 fifth-running Austin Williams flipped high at the crash-wall several times. He escaped injury but the car was damaged extensively. He examined the car and the team went to work repairing it for the semi-main. ... Senior sprints had two flips during the first heat. P. 6 Jerry Welton flipped (rollover) in turn two on the opening lap. ... On the restart, P. 2 Tony Lima entered the first turn at speed, dug in and vaullted high in the air towards the elevated position of Loud Pedal TV cameraman Mike Truex in his power-lift basket perch. “It was just to my left,”(and almost at eye level). Mike told me during the intermission. He showed me the wild flip he caught without flinching. It will be on Facebook and in the Loud Pedal March 5 race video for subscribers.
CLAUSON: Versatile Bryan Clauson, 26, told me during the intermission before the main event he has won six of 25 features through March 4. His goal is to race a record 200 events in 2016. At one-eighth of his saga he now stands at seven wins in 26 events. He said he counts the many days at the Indianapolis 500 as one event. Bryan has the No. 88 Dallara and sponsorship for his third Indy 500. Fans are able to follow Bryan's schedule and results on his frequently updated BryanClauson.com website. He raced Thursday-Friday March 3-4 at the Las Vegas half-mile dirt track. He came to PAS March 5 and raced in the WoO 410 winged sprint race March 6 at Arizona Speedway, Queen Creek, AZ where he placed 13th in the feature.
Clauson started his ambitious season in Australia. His feature victories came in a Friday, Jan. 15 Tulsa (OK) Chili Bowl midget preliminary main. On Jan. 22, 23 and 29 he won three of four USAC Southwest 360 sprint mains at Canyon Speedway in Peoria, AZ Then he won a Feb. 18 USAC National Sprints 410 feature at Ocala, FL. Bryan won his sixth main in a USAC Western non-wing 360 sprint feature on March 3 in Las Vegas; he also placed ninth in the WoO 410 winged sprint main on the same program. He scored victory seven in the PAS USAC-CRA 410 non-winged feature. Bryan's hectic schedule has him following the March-April WoO western swing at numerous short tracks in Cali. He will return to PAS on Saturday, April 16 to race in both the 410 non-wing USAC-CRA and 410 winged WoO doubleheader. As of March 8 Bryan's 2016 record shows: 27 races, 7 wins, 13 top fives, and 19 top tens in features.
Clauson was the tenth driver to qualify at PAS on March 5. He set the fastest qualifying time of 16.529 (.078 quicker than second FQ Austin Williams) and won a $100 cash award. He started sixth in his heat and finished third. In the 30-lap feature, he started sixth as FQ and was third after one lap. He took second on lap 9 and took the lead on lap 13. He won by 50-yards over laps 1-12 leader Richard VanderWeerd. Bryan drove Mike Martin's No. 16B, an Arizona-based Maxim. It was his winning team for the three Peoria, AZ 360 cu. in. January 2016 victories. Bryan said his March 5 PAS winning engine was Martin's 410 cu. in. engine that the team borrowed from Martin by driving across the desert to retrieve it in Phoenix. They drove back to PAS and installed it in Joe Dooling's No. 63 in the PAS pits last November. Clauson then won the 2015 PAS Oval Nationals 40-lap feature with the same 410 engine he used March 5.
PAS Notes: Impressive young USAC-CRA drivers March 5 included Josh Hodges, from New Mexico. He was fifth fastest qualifier and placed fourth in the main event. Tommy Malcolm, 24, led all ten laps in heat 1 to beat 5-time champion Spencer and FQ Clauson. Ex-Young Gun and USAC-CRA 2015 Rookie of the Year Parker Colston, 17, placed second in heat 2. He was in P. 9 on lap 20 of the feature before a problem slowed him and led to his 11th place finish.
Trent Williams, 19, was in P. 8 on lap 18 of the feature before stalling and exiting. Max Adams finished third in the B-main and tenth in the feature. Ex-Young Gun Mikey Lovas, 18, drove John Springstead's No. 36 and raced fast and straight in his races. Mikey raced in Briggs & Stratton-powered Bandolelo cars at Irwindale Speedway in 2010 but wanted to race dirt tracks.
Rip Williams' three sons--Cody, 26, Austin 25, and Logan, 20--had a frustrating March 5 driving for the John Jory team. The three brothers found themselves in the same nine-car heat race. They started fourth, sixth and ninth. Only the first four finishers transferred directly to the feature and they finished in positions 5, 6 and 9. Austin's flip going for P. 4 on lap 4 left his car battered. However, the Jory team got it ready for the B-main where he finished second. In the feature Austin moved from P. 6 to P. 4 on lap 16 after a caution flag by passing Mike Spencer and Jake Swanson. On lap 20 Austin's night ended early after another meeting with the third turn wall.
Logan's car did not get a time during time trials and needed an engine swap. He joined his older brothers in the feature, but without a qualifying time he had to start at the back. He drove all 30 laps and finished 14th, the last driver on the lead lap with 16 of 23 starters racing at the finish. Cody finished eighth. Hopefully,Williams/Jory team fortunes will improve when USAC-CRA returns to PAS on April 16 for the doubleheader with the traveling winged WoO 410 teams.
Young Gunners: Hannah Mayhew had only practiced in a sprint car and had not raced other drivers until March 5 at PAS. She expected to win and was disappointed with a close third place in the 6-lap heat and in the 15-lap main. Young Gun second year driver Courtney Crone, a speedway bike racing veteran, was fast and competitive winning the 15-lap feature in a Steve Watt No. 81.The Corona resident turned 15 in March and is a high school freshman. She thanked her mentors/backers Wally Pankratz, Sammy Tanner, her dad and Steve Watt.
Pit announcer Ronnie Everhart asked Courtney about her racing goal for five years in the future. Courtney replied, “to be racing in Indy Lights”. Her ultimate goal is to race in the Indy 500. Courtney and redhead Hannah had full page color photos in the driving uniforms in the $5.00 PAS printed program. Matt McCarthy, from Riverside, drove the No. 55 and credited the Perkins family and their sprint car driver training sessions for his proficiency. Daniel Anderson, from Venice, looked good driving the second Steve Watt No. 81. The PAS driver development pipeline is accomplishing its stated goal.
CARS: The No. 84 Matt Stewart drove has the smallest car number I've ever seen on the tail of a sprint car. It would even be too small on the tail of a TQ-midget or CLS car. It is a former No. 55 Tony Everhart owned and driven car. Matt's dad Dennis owned and drove a No. 84 in SCRA during the 1980s-90s. ... Matt Mitchell drove the No. 9 Shawn McDonald sprinter that now retired Rickie Gaunt raced to a USAC-CRA 30-lap feature victory on July 3, 2015 at Santa Maria Speedway. Last year Matt raced his family-owned No. 37. For years there also was a No. 37x David Bezio owned /driven sprinter. It seems both 37 cars might be absent in 2016. Bezio has parked his own No. 37x to be more involved with his growing children.
Ten of the 29 USAC-CRA cars present March 5 were cars with duplicate numbers. Specifically, there were three No. 98 cars--(98 Jeremy Ellertson, 98jr Andrew Sweeney, and 98v Verne Sweeney); there were three No. 5s-(5-Logan Williams, 5m Max Adams, and 5x Tommy Malcolm) and all three No. 5 cars are black; there are two No. 4 cars-(No. 4 Damion Gardner, No. 4g Chris Gansen and Gansen's 360 is also 4); finally, there are two No. 51 cars-(51 R. J. Johnson and 51t Eddie Tafoya). It's time to make some car number or color scheme changes to help fans in the grandstand know who is driving the cars. Frequently duplicate numbers are in the same race. Back in the old CRA days (from 1960-1990 at Ascot) duplicate CRA car numbers were not allowed. Exceptions were Arizona Racing Assn. cars that used an A after the number and NARC-registered cars that used N after the car number.
The 2016 USAC-CRA sprint car series has 24 race dates, including a six race California Sprint Week from September 3-10 at five Nor Cal tracks. Five races at the end of the season also carry USAC National Sprint Series points, including the three nights PAS Oval Nationals from November 10-12. Ten different speedways (Perris, Ventura, Santa Maria, Calistoga, Petaluma, Chico, Watsonville, Hanford, Peoria, AZ and Queen Creek, AZ) will host USAC-CRA. That is an increase from nine tracks last year. Arizona Speedway in Queen Creek, AZ will present the series for the first time with race dates on November 4-5 that also award USAC National points. The PAS has 12 races this year, up from 11 last season. The new date is Saturday, October 15.
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