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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series
BRADY BACON WINS THRILLER AT TUCSON’S USA RACEWAY
By Lance Jennings
TUCSON, AZ – MARCH 24, 2015... In one of the most dramatic finishes in the history of Tucson’s USA Raceway, Brady Bacon of Broken Arrow Oklahoma won the opening night of the “8th Annual Copper On Dirt.” For Bacon, last Friday night’s 30-lap Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car triumph was the veteran driver’s first series victory. Josh Hodges, “The Demon” Damion Gardner, “The People’s Champion” Dave Darland, and Mike Spencer followed Bacon to the checkered flags.
Making his first USAC/CRA appearance of 2015, third starting Dave Darland led the first three circuits before Richard Vander Weerd took command. Vander Weerd, the winner of the Perris “Sokola Shootout,” dominated the event until flipping his mount with twenty-seven laps completed. Vander Weerd walked away from his battered machine and the second running Brady Bacon inherited the lead. On the restart, young Josh Hodges had other plans and seized control from Bacon. Looking for his first non-winged 410 victory, Hodges had the feature win in his grasp until a miscue in the last corner opened the door for Bacon. The Oklahoma driver was able to slip by Hodges and claim the main event win.
Driving Keith Ford’s #73 Berry Pack / King Racing Products Spike, Brady Bacon not only won the feature from sixth, he also earned his first career Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award. After out-qualifying the other 23 racers, Bacon ran second to Darland in the night’s first 10-lap heat race.
After running a strong race, Tijeras, New Mexico’s Josh Hodges had to settle for second in the Friday night feature. Piloting the family owned #74X Parts Plus / Mesilla Valley Transportation Maxim, Hodges was tenth quick in time trials and placed third in the night’s first heat race.
In a photo finish, “The Demon” Damion Gardner of Concord, California scored third in the opening night of the “Copper on Dirt” from ninth. Racing Mark Alexander’s #4 Scott Sales Company / Weld Racing Spike, Gardner qualified sixth overall and scored sixth in his heat race after suffering a flat tire.
After leading the first three laps, Lincoln, Indiana’s “The People’s Champion” Dave Darland scored fourth at the checkered flag. Driving Dwight Cheney’s #42 Sander Engineering / Shaver Engines Maxim, Darland was seventh fast in time trials and won the 10-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1.
Mike Spencer of Temecula, California took fourth in the 30-lap main event. Piloting Ron Chaffin’s #50 Grubstake Mini Storage / Madera Produce Maxim, Spencer qualified second overall and ran second to Matt Rossi in his heat race.
Using an iron-block 360 engine, Buckeye, Arizona’s “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. earned the night’s DMI / Keizer Wheels “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with a twelfth place run from twenty-third. Piloting the Massey Motorsports’ #50M RSS Industries / Rod End Supply RSS, Davis missed the scales after time trials and took third in his heat race.
Making his first start in Gerry Cook’s #04G Lucas Oil / Beaver Stripes DRC, Matt Rossi of South Central, Arizona won the program’s DJ Safety Heat Race #2. Rossi was seventeenth fast in time trials and placed seventeenth in the feature.
R.J. Johnson of Phoenix, Arizona earned the Saldana Racing Products / Circle Track Performance Heat Race #3 victory. Racing Bobby Martin’s #51 Weiler Farms / Pecon Builders Maxim, Johnson qualified fifteenth overall and raced to tenth in the main event after starting fourteenth.
The Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks Hoosier Tire, Circle Track Performance, Competition Suspension Inc., DJ Safety, Diversified Machine Inc., Extreme Mufflers, Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror, Keizer Wheels, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, 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 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). Mike Truex's Loudpedal Productions has DVDs available for purchase that feature the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series. For more information, call (805) 407-7229 or visit www.loudpedalvideo.com.
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AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT RACE RESULTS:
March 20, 2015 – Tucson, Arizona – USA Raceway – “Eight Annual Copper On Dirt”
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY TIME TRIALS:
1. Brady Bacon, 73, Ford-16.590; 2. Mike Spencer, 50, Chaffin-16.779; 3. Richard Vander Weerd, 10, Vander Weerd-16.793; 4. Matt Mitchell, 37, Mitchell-16.807; 5. Jake Swanson, 92, Sertich-16.820; 6. Damion Gardner, 4, Alexander-16.826; 7. Dave Darland, 42, Cheney-16.937; 8. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-17.100; 9. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-17.223; 10. Josh Hodges, 74X, Hodges-17.249; 11. Harli White, 17W, White-17.377; 12. Ronnie Clark, 6, Clark-17.487; 13. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-17.524; 14. Bruce St. James, 7K, St.James-17.547; 15. R.J. Johnson, 51, Martin-17.692; 16. Josh Pelkey, 12, Allen-17.793; 17. Matt Rossi, 04G, Cook-17.863; 18. Parker Colston, 64, Colston-18.338; 19. Andy Reinbold, 19, Underwood-18.380; 20. Logan Williams, 5, Jory-18.381; 21. Michael Curtis, 45C, Turner/Wheeler-19.061; 22. Mike Martin, 16, Martin-NT; 23. Rick Ziehl, 20Z, Ziehl-NT; 24. Charles Davis Jr., 50M, Massey-NT.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE #1: (10 laps)
1. Darland, 2. Bacon, 3. Hodges, 4. Pelkey, 5. Mitchell, 6. C.Williams, 7. Martin, 8. Reinbold. NT
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE #2: (10 laps)
1. Rossi, 2. Spencer, 3. Swanson, 4. White, 5. Ziehl, 6. L.Williams, 7. St. James, 8. Roa. NT
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE HEAT RACE #3: (10 laps)
1. Johnson, 2. Clark, 3. Davis, 4. Colston, 5. Curtis, 6. Gardner, 7. A.Williams, 8. Vander Weerd. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Brady Bacon (6th), 2. Josh Hodges (2nd), 3. Damion Gardner (9th), 4. Dave Darland (3rd), 5. Mike Spencer (5th), 6. Matt Mitchell (8th), 7. Jake Swanson (4th), 8. Bruce St. James (13th), 9. Cody Williams (12th), 10. R.J. Johnson (14th), 11. Logan Williams (19th), 12. Charles Davis Jr. (23rd), 13. Michael Curtis (20th), 14. Mike Martin (21st), 15. Rick Ziehl (22nd), 16. Parker Colston (17th), 17. Matt Rossi (16th), 18. Ronnie Clark (11th), 19. Josh Pelkey (15th), 20. Richard Vander Weerd (7th), 21. Andy Reinbold (18th), 22. Austin Williams (10th), 23. Harli White (1st). NT
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**St. James flipped during the second heat. Vander Weerd and A.Williams flipped during the third heat. Vander Weerd flipped during the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-3 Darland, Laps 4-27 Vander Weerd, Laps 28-29 Hodges, Lap 30 Bacon.
DMI / KEIZER WHEELS HARD CHARGER: Charles Davis Jr. (23rd to 12th)
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