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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series
Top 3 in Watsonville Victory Circle. (L-R) Ryan Bernal (2nd), Damion Gardner (1st), Kevin Thomas Jr. (3rd). Photo by Steve Lafond / Tear-Off Heaven Fotos.
DAMION GARDNER SWEEPS USAC/CRA RETURN TO WATSONVILLE
By Lance Jennings
WATSONVILLE, CA – SEPTEMBER 8, 2014... After seeping the previous night at Chico, “The Demon” Damion Gardner of Concord repeated that performance at Watsonville’s Ocean Speedway. Grabbing the lead from Ryan Bernal on lap fifteen, Gardner scored the $2,750 Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car main event win, set a new track record in qualifying and won his heat race. Bernal, Kevin Thomas Jr., Richard Vander Weerd, and Mike Spencer followed “The Demon” in the fourth round of the “California Sprint Week.”
Driving Mark Alexander’s #4 Scott Sales Company / J&D Performance Spike, Damion Gardner began his night by earning his 60th career Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award and breaking the track record held by “The Cadillac” Cody Williams. “The Demon” claimed the 10-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1 triumph and won the 30-lap main event after starting sixth.
Leading the first fourteen laps, Hollister’s Ryan Bernal had to settle for second at Ocean Speedway. Piloting Mike Phulps’ #56 Tri-C Mandarin Ranch / Core Power ART, Bernal set a fast pace at the popular quarter-mile oval until reaching heavy slower traffic. Ryan qualified eighth out of the twenty-five racers in attendance and placed third in his heat race.
After running fifth in his Chico debut, Kevin Thomas Jr. of Cullman, Alabama took third in his first Watsonville start from eighth. Racing Keith Ford’s #73 Berry Pack / King Racing Products Spike, Thomas was fifth quick overall in time trials, claimed fifth in his heat race, and won the 12-lap Competition Suspension Inc. / Rod End Supply Semi-Main.
Visalia’s Richard Vander Weerd made his first start in the “California Sprint Week” and took fourth at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. Driving the family owned #10 Vander Weerd Construction / Battery Worx Maxim, Vander Weerd qualified sixth overall and ran third in his heat race.
Mike Spencer of Temecula scored fifth in the Watsonville feature after starting seventh. Piloting Ron Chaffin’s #50 Grubstake Mini Storage / Madera Produce Maxim, Spencer was third fast in time trials, scored eighth in his heat race, and ran second in the 12-lap semi-main.
Sebastopol’s “The Human Highlight Reel” Geoff Ensign earned the Keizer Wheels / Racing Optics "Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with a seventh place run from fourteenth. Racing Ted Finkenbinder’s #3F Western Industrial X-Ray Eagle, Ensign qualified fifteenth overall and won the program’s Saldana Racing Products / Circle Track Performance Heat Race #3.
Jake Swanson of Anaheim claimed victory in the 10-lap DJ Safety Heat Race #2. Driving Tom & Laurie Sertich’s #92 Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror Inc. / Circle Track Performance Victory, Swanson was second quick in time trials and scored twelfth in the main event.
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 CAR RACE RESULTS:
September 5, 2014 – Watsonville, California – Ocean Speedway – “California Sprint Week”
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY TIME TRIALS:
1. Damion Gardner, 4, Alexander-12.500; 2. Jake Swanson, 92, Sertich-12.784; 3. Mike Spencer, 50, Chaffin-12.859; 4. Austin Liggett, 83, Liggett-12.865; 5. Kevin Thomas Jr., 73, Ford-12.879; 6. Richard Vander Weerd, 10, Vander Weerd-12.880; 7. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-12.931; 8. Ryan Bernal, 56, Phulps-12.975; 9. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-13.036; 10. Matt Mitchell, 37, Mitchell-13.096; 11. Landon Hurst, 179, Hurst-13.115; 12. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-13.171; 13. Danny Faria Jr., 2F, Bowman-13.198; 14. Jace Vander Weerd, 88, VanderWeerd-13.288; 15. Geoff Ensign, 3F, Finkenbinder-13.313; 16. D.J. Johnson, 33, Johnson-13.429; 17. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-13.441; 18. Tim DeCarlo Jr., 4D, DeCarlo-13.442; 19. Tyler Schmidt, 49, Schmidt-13.578; 20. Logan Williams, 5, Jory-13.579; 21. Jeff Sibley, 42N, Sibley-13.641; 22. Garrett Hansen, 7, Priestley-13.721; 23. Eric Rossi, 17, Shanoian-13.745; 24. Jeremy Ellertson, 98X, Ellertson-14.114; 25. Eli Deshaies, 91RI, Deshaies-14.116.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE #1: (10 laps)
1. Gardner, 2. Faria, 3. Liggett, 4. Johnson, 5. Mitchell, 6. Hansen, 7. Schmidt, 8. C.Williams, 9. Deshaies. NT
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE #2: (10 laps)
1. Swanson, 2. J.Vander Weerd, 3. Bernal, 4. Gansen, 5. Thomas, 6. Rossi, 7. Hurst, 8. L.Williams. NT
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE HEAT RACE #3: (10 laps)
1. Ensign, 2. Roa. 3. R.Vander Weerd, 4. A.Williams, 5. Sibley, 6. DeCarlo, 7. Ellertson, 8. Spencer. NT
COMPETITION SUSPENSION INC. / ROD END SEMI-MAIN: (12 laps)
1. Thomas, 2. Spencer, 3. Mitchell, 4. C.Williams, 5. Schmidt, 6. L.Williams, 7. DeCarlo, 8. Sibley, 9. Hansen, 10. Rossi, 11. Ellertson, 12. Hurst. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Damion Gardner (6th), 2. Ryan Bernal (2nd), 3. Kevin Thomas Jr. (8th), 4. Richard Vander Weerd (3rd), 5. Mike Spencer (7th), 6. Brody Roa (1st), 7. Geoff Ensign (14th), 8. Danny Faria Jr. (12th), 9. Austin Liggett (4th), 10. D.J. Johnson (15th), 11. Cody Williams (9th), 12. Jake Swanson (5th), 13. Austin Williams (11th), 14. Jace Vander Weerd (13th), 15. Eric Rossi (22nd), 16. Jeff Sibley (20th), 17. Chris Gansen (16th), 18. Tyler Schmidt (18th), 19. Logan Williams (19th), 20. Jeremy Ellertson (23rd), 21. Matt Mitchell (10th), 22. Garrett Hansen (21st), 23. Tim DeCarlo Jr. (17th). NT
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**Ellertson used a provisional.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-14 Bernal, Laps 15-30 Gardner.
KEIZER WHEELS / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Geoff Ensign (14th to 7th)
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