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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series
RYAN BERNAL WINS NONSTOP “DOUG FORT MEMORIAL” AT SANTA MARIA
By Lance Jennings
JULY 6, 2016... Making his first start in eight months, Ryan Bernal (Hollister, California) claimed last Friday’s nonstop “Doug Fort Memorial” at Santa Maria Raceway. Taking the lead from Brody Roa and holding off “The Demon” Damion Gardner, Bernal earned his seventh career Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car triumph. Gardner, Roa, hard charger Austin Williams, and “Showtime” Danny Sheridan chased Ryan to the checkered flags.
Piloting Keith Ford’s #73X Walker Filtration Systems / Sun Valley AG Transport Spike, Ryan Bernal qualified sixth out of twenty-six racers and ran second to Damion Gardner in his heat race. The two-time USAC Western Classic Champion started third in the main event and went on to claim his series leading third Santa Maria victory.
“The Demon” Damion Gardner (Concord, California) pressured Bernal for the lead and raced hard with Roa to maintain the runner-up spot. Driving Mark Alexander’s #4 Scott Sales Company / Weld Racing Spike, Gardner was third quick in time trials and won the 10-lap Circle Track Performance / Keizer Aluminum Wheels Heat Race #3. The defending and four-time champion started fifth in the feature and gained valuable points.
Brody Roa (Garden Grove, California) led the first eight laps before taking third at Santa Maria Raceway. Racing the BR Performance owned #91R HD Industries / Lee & Norma Leonard Maxim, Roa qualified eighth overall and placed third in his heat race. The second generation driver has gotten off to a strong start with consistent finishes.
Austin Williams (Yorba Linda, California) earned the night’s BR Motorsports / King Racing Products “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with a fourth place run from eighth in the nonstop main event. Piloting Jack Jory’s #2 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams was fourth fast in time trials, ran sixth in his heat race, and won the 12-lap Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Semi-Main. The second generation driver has already scored a victory at the Perris “Salute to Indy” on May 28th.
“Showtime” Danny Sheridan (Santa Maria, California) raced to fifth in his first USAC/CRA start of the campaign from ninth. Driving Keith Ford’s #73 Walker Filtration Systems / Sun Valley AG Transport Spike, Sheridan qualified ninth overall and finished fourth in his heat race. The former Santa Maria champion plans to run a limited schedule in 2016.
Richard Vander Weerd (Visalia, California) earned the night’s Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award. Racing the family owned #10 Vander Weerd Construction / Stone Gate Development Maxim, Richard placed third in his heat race and scored seventh in the main event. The 2011 USAC West Coast Champion won the June 11th feature at Perris Auto Speedway.
“The Bear” Jeremy Ellertson (Lawndale, California) won the program’s 10-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Piloting his #98 Inland Rigging / SC Grafix Racecrafter, Ellertson was thirteenth quick in time trials and ran sixteenth in the 30-lap feature. Currently in the top-10 in points, Jeremy ran second in the program’s 360 feature and is looking to move up the ranks with USAC/CRA.
“Junkyard” Jimmy Thompson (Arroyo Grande, California) won the night’s 10-lap DJ Safety Heat Race #2. Driving his brother’s 360 cubic inch powered #71 Petersen Backflow Service / Eames Trucking Maxim, Thompson qualified seventeenth overall and did not start the main event.
The Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks Hoosier Tire, All Coast Construction, BR Motorsports, Brown and Miller Racing Solutions, Circle Track Performance, Competition Suspension Incorporated, DJ Safety, Diversified Machine Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Keizer Aluminum Wheels, King Racing Products, Rod End Supply, Stand 21 Racer Goes Safer Foundation, surfnsprint.com, Ultra Shield Race Products, and Woodland Auto Display for their support. If you or your company would like to become part of the series, email PR Director Lance Jennings at [email protected].
For more information on USAC/CRA, visit the United States Auto Club (USAC) website at www.usacracing.com. You can also find exclusive content on the USAC/CRA Facebook and Twitter pages.
Loudpedal Productions has Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car DVDs and videos on demand available for purchase at www.loudpedal.tv and 805.407.7229.
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AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS:
July 1, 2016 – Santa Maria, California – Santa Maria Raceway – “Doug Fort Memorial”
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS:
1. Richard Vander Weerd, 10, Vander Weerd-14.237; 2. Logan Williams, 5, Jory-14.305; 3. Damion Gardner, 4, Alexander-14.347; 4. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-14.373; 5. Jake Swanson, 92, Sertich-14.458; 6. Ryan Bernal, 73X, Ford-14.488; 7. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-14.525; 8. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-14.530; 9. Danny Sheridan, 73, Ford-14.594; 10. Mike Spencer, 4S, Gansen-14.661; 11. Ronnie Gardner, 12, Allen-14.690; 12. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-14.696; 13. Jeremy Ellertson, 98, Ellertson-14.820; 14. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-14.840; 15. Jace Vander Weerd, 88, Vander Weerd-14.871; 16. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-14.879; 17. Jimmy Thompson, 71, Thompson-14.993; 18. Cory Kruseman, 21K, Kruseman-15.122; 19. Max Adams, 5M, Adams-15.197; 20. Verne Sweeney, 98V, Tracy-15.344; 21. Anthony Lopiccolo, 36, Springstead-15.437; 22. Luke Boles, 56, Boles-15.489; 23. James Herrera, 5J, Herrera-15.678; 24. Andrew Sweeney, 98JR, Tracy-15.718; 25. Chris Dyson, 16K, Kruseman-16.044; 26. Kevin Barnes, 36B, Barnes-NT.
EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps)
1. Ellertson, 2. Bender, 3. R.Vander Weerd, 4. Spencer, 5. Boles, 6. A.Williams, 7. Dyson, 8. Malcolm. NT
DJ SAFETY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps)
1. Thompson, 2. Swanson, 3. Roa, 4. R.Gardner, 5. L.Williams, 6. Gansen, 7.V.Sweeney, 8. Herrera. NT
CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE / KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS THIRD HEAT: (10 laps)
1. D.Gardner, 2. Bernal, 3. Kruseman, 4. Sheridan, 5. J.Vander Weerd, 6. C.Williams, 7. Lopiccolo, 8. A.Sweeney. NT
BROWN & MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS SEMI: (12 laps)
1. A.Williams, 2. L.Williams, 3. C.Williams, 4. Malcolm, 5. J.Vander Weerd, 6. Gansen, 7. V.Sweeney, 8. Lopiccolo, 9. Adams, 10. Dyson, 11. A.Sweeney, 12. Herrera. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Ryan Bernal (3rd), 2. Damion Gardner (5th), 3. Brody Roa (1st), 4. Austin Williams (8th), 5. Danny Sheridan (9th), 6. Jake Swanson (4th), 7. Richard Vander Weerd (6th), 8. Logan Williams (7th), 9. A.J. Bender (2nd), 10. Mike Spencer (10th), 11. Ronnie Gardner (11th), 12. Cody Williams (12th), 13. Chris Gansen (14th), 14. Tommy Malcolm (16th), 15. Cory Kruseman (18th), 16. Jeremy Ellertson (13th), 17. Anthony Lopiccolo (21st), 18. Verne Sweeney (20th), 19. Jace Vander Weerd (15th), 20. Chris Dyson (22nd), 21. Max Adams (19th). NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-8 Roa, Laps 9-30 Bernal
BR MOTORSPORTS / KING RACING PRODUCTS HARD CHARGER: Austin Williams (8th to 4th)
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