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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series
#4 “The Demon” Damion Gardner in victory circle at Ventura. Photo by Mike Grosswendt / SurfnSprint.com.
DAMION GARDNER CLAIMS 50TH USAC/CRA WIN AT VENTURA
By Lance Jennings
VENTURA, CA – MAY 11, 2014... Leading all 30-laps, “The Demon” Damion Gardner of Concord won Saturday’s “All Coast Challenge / Tribute To Fred Thomson” at Ventura Raceway. The $2,750 triumph was Gardner’s series leading 50th Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car victory followed by Nic Faas, fast qualifier Jake Swanson, Ryan Bernal, and “The Kruser” Cory Kruseman.
It was not an easy win for “The Demon” as he faced constant challenges throughout the event. Starting on the pole position, the point leader was able to shake free from Kruseman, Bernal, and Faas. While a red flag for a Wally Pankratz flip and several caution flags halted the action, Gardner had excellent restarts and maintained control. Coming for the white flag, Gardner had a tense moment when his mount jumped the turn four cushion and the second running Faas was not able to take advantage.
Piloting Mark Alexander’s #4 Scott Sales Company / J&D Performance Spike, Damion Gardner qualified tenth out of the thirty-two cars in attendance and won the 10-lap DJ Safety Heat Race #2. “The World’s Fastest Sprint Car Driver” left Ventura with a 39-point advantage on the strength of four feature wins, two Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, four heat race victories, and 75 feature laps led.
Huntington Beach’s Nic Faas had another solid performance and scored second in the “Tribute To Fred Thomson.” Racing Keith Ford’s #73 Berry Pack / King Racing Products Spike, Faas was second quick in time trials and claimed third in his heat race. Heading to Perris for the May 24th “Salute to Indy,” the former Rookie of the Year is second in points with one heat race victory and five top-10 finishes on the season.
Jake Swanson of Anaheim earned the first Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award of his career and took third in USAC/CRA’s return to Ventura. Driving Tom and Laurie Sertich’s #92 Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror / Circle Track Performance Victory, Swanson placed second in his heat race and has climbed to fifth in the point chase. To date, the former Rookie of the Year has four top-10 finishes in the campaign.
Hollister’s Ryan Bernal made his first start at Ventura and claimed fourth in the “All Coast Challenge.” Piloting Keith Ford’s 360-powered #73F Berry Pack / King Racing Products Spike, Bernal qualified seventh overall and took fourth in his heat race. In limited starts, the defending USAC Western Classic Champion sits twenty-seventh in USAC/CRA standings with one top-10 finish.
“The Kruser” Cory Kruseman of Ventura pressured Gardner for the lead before claiming fifth at the checkered flags. Racing Mark Priestley’s #7 Roy Miller Freight Lines / Sander Engineering Bullet, Kruseman was ninth fast in time trials and won the 10-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. The 2006 champion is currently sixth in the points with four heat race victories and three top-10 finishes on the season.
Huntington Beach’s Brody Roa earned the Keizer Wheels / Racing Optics "Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with an eighth place finish after starting twentieth. The driver of the BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Burris Racing Maxim qualified twenty-fifth overall, placed fifth in his heat race, and scored fourth in the semi-main. The 2012 Most Improved Driver has dropped to seventh in points with one Competition Suspension Inc. / Rod End Supply Semi-Main Win and three top-10 finishes headed to the 40-lap “Salute to Indy.”
Brian Camarillo of Camarillo raced to victory in the Saldana Racing Products / Circle Track Performance Heat Race #3. Piloting Mike Smith’s 360-powered #51 Waste Management / Agromin Soil Maxim, Camarillo was nineteenth quick in time trials and charged to tenth in the feature after starting fifteenth.
Visalia’s Richard Vander Weerd won the Weld Racing / Pyrotect Racing Cells Heat Race #4. Racing the family owned #10 Vander Weerd Construction / Battery Worx Maxim, Richard qualified twenty-fourth overall and scored twelfth in the main event from nineteenth. The 2011 USAC West Coast Champion has risen to eighth in points with one main event win, two top-10 finishes, and 10 feature laps led on the year.
“The Cadillac” Cody Williams won the 12-lap Competition Suspension Inc. / Rod End Supply Semi-Main. Driving Jack Jory’s #44 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams was sixth fast in time trials, ran seventh in his heat race, and scored twentieth in the main event. “The Cadillac” sits ninth in the point chase with one Keizer Wheels / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award, two top-10 finishes, and three feature laps led to his credit.
The Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will return to action on Saturday, May 24th, at Perris Auto Speedway for the 40-lap “Salute to Indy.” Located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds, more event information can be found at www.perrisautospeedway.com or calling (951) 940-0134. To catch all of the action of the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series, Loudpedal Productions has DVD videos available for purchase. For more information, call (805) 407-7229 or visit www.loudpedalvideo.com.
The Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks Hoosier Tire, Circle Track Performance, Competition Suspension Inc., DJ Safety, Engler Machine & Tool, Extreme Mufflers, Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror, Keizer Wheels, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, Rugged Radios, Saldana Racing Products, Weld Racing, 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 the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series, visit www.usacracing.com 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/CRA SPRINT RACE RESULTS:
May 10, 2014 – Ventura, California – Ventura Raceway – “All Coast Challenge / Tribute to Fred Thomson”
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY TIME TRIALS:
1. Jake Swanson, 92, Sertich-12.089; 2. Nic Faas, 73, Ford-12.247; 3. Cody Swanson, 36, Springstead-12.269; 4. Markus Niemela, 73X, Ford-12.293; 5. Rickie Gaunt, 66, Miller-12.365; 6. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-12.380; 7. Ryan Bernal, 73F, Ford-12.436; 8. Johnathon Henry, 17, Henry-12.440; 9. Cory Kruseman, 7, Priestley-12.476; 10. Damion Gardner, 4, Alexander-12.491; 11. Jace Vander Weerd, 88, Vander Weerd-12.500; 12. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-12.560; 13. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-12.654; 14. J.J. Ercse, 14, Springstead-12.786; 15. Matt Mitchell, 37, Mitchell-12.803; 16. Corey Ballard, 34, Ballard-12.845; 17. Logan Williams, 5, Jory-12.855; 18. Don Gansen, 7G, Gansen-12.883; 19. Brian Camarillo, 51, Smith-12.905; 20. Kyle Smith, 55, Smith-12.937; 21. Austin DeBlauw, 65, DeBlauw-12.970; 22. Rick Hendrix, 15, Hendrix-13.047; 23. Cody Majors, 54, Majors-13.062; 24. Richard Vander Weerd, 10, Vander Weerd-13.065; 25. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-13.067; 26. Brandon Thomson, 19F, Thomson-13.104; 27. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-13.243; 28. Wally Pankratz, 2X, Swann-13.478; 29. Ron Bach, 49, Bach-13.614; 30. Hobie Conway, 2K, Kruseman-NT; 31. Greg Alexander, 72, Tyler-NT; 32. Charlie Butcher, 96, Butcher-NT.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE #1: (10 laps)
1. Cory Kruseman, 2. Jake Swanson, 3. Logan Williams, 4. Rickie Gaunt, 5. Brody Roa, 6. A.J. Bender, 7. Austin DeBlauw, 8. Ron Bach. NT
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE #2: (10 laps)
1. Damion Gardner, 2. Rick Hendrix, 3. Nic Faas, 4. Don Gansen, 5. J.J. Ercse, 6. Brandon Thomson, 7. Cody Williams, 8. Hobie Conway. NT
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE HEAT RACE #3: (10 laps)
1. Brian Camarillo, 2. Jace Vander Weerd, 3. Matt Mitchell, 4. Ryan Bernal, 5. Cody Majors, 6. Chris Gansen, 7. Cody Swanson. NT
WELD RACING / PYROTECT RACING CELLS HEAT RACE #4: (10 laps)
1. Richard Vander Weerd, 2. Austin Williams, 3. Kyle Smith, 4. Wally Pankratz, 5. Corey Ballard, 6. Markus Niemela, 7. Johnathon Henry. NT
COMPETITION SUSPENSION INC. / ROD END SUPPLY SEMI-MAIN: (12 laps)
1. Cody Williams, 2. Johnathon Henry, 3. Markus Niemela, 4. Brody Roa, 5. Austin DeBlauw, 6. Chris Gansen, 7. Brandon Thomson, 8. Corey Ballard, 9. J.J. Ercse, 10. Cody Majors, 11. A.J. Bender, 12. Hobie Conway. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Damion Gardner (1st), 2. Nic Faas (5th), 3. Jake Swanson (6th), 4. Ryan Bernal (3rd), 5. Cory Kruseman (2nd), 6. Rickie Gaunt (4th), 7. Johnathon Henry (9th), 8. Brody Roa (20th), 9. Jace Vander Weerd (10th), 10. Brian Camarillo (15th), 11. Kyle Smith (16th), 12. Richard Vander Weerd (19th), 13. Chris Gansen (21st), 14. Don Gansen (14th), 15. Austin Williams (11th), 16. Rick Hendrix (18th), 17. Austin DeBlauw (17th), 18. Markus Niemela (7th), 19. Wally Pankratz (22nd), 20. Cody Williams (8th), 21. Matt Mitchell (12th), 22. Logan Williams (13th). NT
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**Cody Swanson flipped during the third heat.
**Markus Niemela flipped during fourth heat.
**Wally Pankratz flipped during the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-30 Damion Gardner
KEIZER WHEELS / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Brody Roa (20th to 8th)
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. Damion Gardner-354, 2. Nic Faas-315, 3. Mike Spencer-228, 4. Matt Mitchell-216, 5. Jake Swanson-208, 6. Cory Kruseman-206, 7. Brody Roa-192, 8. Richard Vander Weerd-157. --. Cody Williams-157, 10. Gary Taylor-143, --. Austin Williams-143, 12. Logan Williams-123, 13. R.J. Johnson-108, 14. Rickie Gaunt-101, 15. Cody Swanson-99, 16. Greg Alexander-91, 17. Ronnie Gardner-90, 18. Josh Pelkey-79, 19. A.J. Bender-76, --. Jace Vander Weerd-76.
2014 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE:
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
May 24: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Salute to Indy / 40-Laps / $3,000-to-Win)
June 14: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA
June 27: Ocean Speedway - Watsonville, CA ($2,750-to-Win)
June 28: Petaluma Speedway - Petaluma, CA ($2,750-to-Win)
July 4: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Firecracker 40 / $3,000-to-Win)
July 5: Santa Maria Speedway - Santa Maria, CA ($2,750-to-Win)
August 16: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (California Racers Hall of Fame Night)
August 30: Calistoga Speedway - Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic / California Sprint Week)
August 31: Calistoga Speedway - Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic / California Sprint Week)
September 4: Silver Dollar Speedway - Chico, CA (Gold Cup Race of Champions / California Sprint Week / $2,750-to-Win)
September 5: Ocean Speedway - Watsonville, CA (California Sprint Week / $2,750-to-Win)
September 6: Santa Maria Speedway - Santa Maria, CA (California Sprint Week / $2,750-to-Win)
September 13: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Glenn Howard Classic)
October 11: Kings Speedway - Hanford, CA (Cotton Classic / $2,750-to-Win)
November 7: *Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Oval Nationals)
November 8: *Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Oval Nationals / $20,000-to-Win)
November 14: *Canyon Speedway - Peoria, AZ (Hall of Fame Classic)
November 15: *Canyon Speedway - Peoria, AZ (Hall of Fame Classic)
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* = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC National Sprints.
This schedule is subject to change.
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