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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series
DAMION GARDNER SCORES COPPER ON DIRT VICTORY AT TUCSON
By Lance Jennings
TUCSON, AZ – MARCH 24, 2015... Taking the lead from Dave Darland on lap fifteen, Concord, California’s “The Demon” Damion Gardner claimed the “Eighth Annual Copper on Dirt” victory at USA Raceway. For Gardner, the Tucson 30-lap feature win marked his series leading fifty-eighth Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car triumph. The 3-time champion was followed by Brady Bacon, fast qualifier Mike Spencer, Matt Mitchell and “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr.
Starting fifth, Damion Gardner raced to his first feature victory of the season. Driving Mark Alexander’s #4 Scott Sales Company / Weld Racing Spike, Gardner qualified second out of the twenty-three racers in the pit area and won the 10-lap DJ Safety Heat Race #2. Heading to Perris Auto Speedway on April 18th, “The World’s Fastest Sprint Car Driver” is second in the point chase with two heat race victories, three top-10 finishes, and 16 feature laps led to his credit.
Charging from twentieth to second, Brady Bacon of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma pressured Gardner for the top spot in the closing laps. Racing Keith Ford’s #73 Berry Pack / King Racing Products Spike, Bacon earned the night’s DMI “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors, was twentieth fast in time trials, and ran third in his heat race. The defending USAC National Sprint Car Champion left Tucson ranked fifth in points with one feature win, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, two top-10 finishes, and 1 feature lap led.
Temecula. California’s Mike Spencer drove from sixth to claim third in the “Copper On Dirt.” Piloting Ron Chaffin’s #50 Grubstake Mini Storage / Madera Produce Maxim, Spencer earned his second Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award and ran second to Ronnie Clark in his heat Race. The five-time champion has a four-point advantage over the competition with three top-10 finishes in the campaign.
Matt Mitchell of Yorba Linda, California charged from fifteenth to score fourth in Tucson’s 30-lap main event. Driving his #37 Campbell Bros. Storage / Pit Boss Jacks Maxim, Mitchell qualified fifteenth overall and won the Saldana Racing Products / Circle Track Performance Heat Race #3. Returning to USAC/CRA’s “home track” on April 18th, the USAC West Coast Champion is third in the point standings with three top-10 finishes and 7 feature laps led.
Buckeye, Arizona’s “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. placed fifth in the Saturday night main event. Racing the 360-powered Massey Motorsports’ #50M RSS Industries / Rod End Supply RSS, Davis was eighth fast in time trials and took fourth in his heat race. To date, the five-time Arizona Sprint Car Champion is currently twelfth in points with one DMI / Keizer Wheels Hard Charger Award and one top-10 finish in 2015.
Ronnie Clark of Tucson, Arizona returned to USAC/CRA action and raced to victory in the night’s 10-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Piloting the family owned #6 Ellis Race Cars / Performance Engines Ellis, Clark qualified seventh overall and scored twenty-second in the main event after an early exit. Sitting twenty-second in points, Ronnie and his family plan on running a limited schedule with USAC/CRA.
The Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will be back in action on Saturday, April 18th, at Perris Auto Speedway for the “So-Cal Sprint Car Spectacular.” The event will mark the second time in history that the USAC/CRA 410s will race on the same card with the famed World of Outlaw Sprints. The PAS Senior Sprints will join the action on the “Power of Purple Night and The Drive to $100,000.” Located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds, more event information can be found at www.perrisautospeedway.com or calling 951.940.0134.
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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MSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS:
March 21, 2015 – Tucson, Arizona – USA Raceway – “Eighth Annual Copper On Dirt”
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY TIME TRIALS:
1. Mike Spencer, 50, Chaffin-16.300; 2. Damion Gardner, 4, Alexander-16.530; 3. R.J. Johnson, 51, Martin-16.741; 4. Jake Swanson, 92, Sertich-16.810; 5. Mike Martin, 16, Martin-16.900; 6. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-16.906; 7. Ronnie Clark, 6, Clark-16.965; 8. Charles Davis Jr., 50M, Massey-17.010; 9. Dave Darland, 42, Cheney-17.052; 10. Bruce St. James, 7K, St.James-17.102; 11. Josh Hodges, 74X, Hodges-17.133; 12. Rick Ziehl, 20Z, Ziehl-17.174; 13. Parker Colston, 64, Colston-17.218; 14. Matt Rossi, 04G, Cook-17.222; 15. Matt Mitchell, 37, Mitchell-17.290; 16. Logan Williams, 5, Jory-17.337; 17. Andy Reinbold, 19, Underwood-17.372; 18. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-17.492; 19. Michael Curtis, 45C, Turner/Wheeer-17.504; 20. Brady Bacon, 73, Ford-17.505; 21. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-17.605; 22. Harli White, 17W, White-17.816; 23. Josh Pelkey, 12, Allen-17.849.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE #1: (10 laps)
1. Clark, 2. Spencer, 3. Swanson, 4. White, 5. L.Williams, 6. Curtis, 7. Colston, 8. St. James. NT
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE #2: (10 laps)
1. Gardner, 2. Hodges, 3. Bacon, 4. Davis, 5. Pelkey, 6. Martin, 7. Reinbold, 8. Rossi. NT
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE HEAT RACE #3: (10 laps)
1. Mitchell, 2. Ziehl, 3. Darland, 4. Roa, 5. Johnson, 6. A.Williams, 7. C.Williams. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Damion Gardner (5th), 2. Brady Bacon (20th), 3. Mike Spencer (6th), 4. Matt Mitchell (15th), 5. Charles Davis Jr. (2nd), 6. Dave Darland (1st), 7. R.J. Johnson (7th), 8. Jake Swanson (4th), 9. Mike Martin (8th), 10. Brody Roa (21st), 11. Austin Williams (9th), 12. Cody Williams (18th), 13. Bruce St. James (10th), 14. Logan Williams (16th), 15. Andy Reinbold (17th), 16. Michael Curtis (19th), 17. Josh Pelkey (23rd), 18. Rick Ziehl (12th), 19. Harli White (22nd), 20. Josh Hodges (11th), 21. Parker Colston (13th), 22. Ronnie Clark (3rd). NT
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**Hodges flipped during the feature.
**Rossi did not start feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-14 Darland, Laps 15-30 Gardner.
DMI / KEIZER WHEELS HARD CHARGER: Brady Bacon (20th to 2nd)
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. Mike Spencer-194, 2. Damion Gardner-190, 3. Matt Mitchell-167, 4. Jake Swanson-149, 5. Brady Bacon-136, 6. Austin Williams-116, 7. R.J. Johnson-114, 8. Cody Williams-112, 9. Dave Darland-110, 10. Mike Martin-92, 11. Richard Vander Weerd-91, 12. Charles Davis Jr.-88, 13. Josh Hodges-83, 14. Michael Curtis-77, --. Logan Williams-77, --. Brody Roa-77, 17. Bruce St. James-69, 19. Parker Colston-61, 19. Rick Ziehl-51, 20. Hunter Schuerenberg-50.
2015 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE:
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
April 18: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (So Cal Sprint Car Spectacular)
May 2: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA
May 9: Ventura Raceway - Ventura, CA (All Coast Challenge / $5,000-to-Win)
May 23: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Salute To Indy)
June 13: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA
July 3: Santa Maria Raceway - Santa Maria, CA (Doug Fort Memorial)
July 4: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Firecracker 40)
August 15: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (California Racers Hall of Fame Night)
September 5: Calistoga Speedway - Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic / California Sprint Week)
September 6: Calistoga Speedway - Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic / California Sprint Week)
September 7: Petaluma Speedway - Petaluma, CA (California Sprint Week)
September 10: Silver Dollar Speedway - Chico, CA (Gold Cup Race of Champions / California Sprint Week)
September 11: Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds - Hanford, CA (Jim Turner Memorial / California Sprint Week)
September 12: Santa Maria Raceway - Santa Maria, CA (California Sprint Week)
September 19: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Glenn Howard Classic)
October 23: Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Hall of Fame Classic)
October 24: Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Hall of Fame Classic)
November 12: *Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Budweiser Oval Nationals)
November 13: *Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Budweiser Oval Nationals)
November 14: *Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Budweiser Oval Nationals)
November 19: *USA Raceway - Tucson, AZ (Western World Championships)
November 20: *USA Raceway - Tucson, AZ (Western World Championships)
November 21: *USA Raceway - Tucson, AZ (Western World Championships)
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* = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC National Sprints.
This schedule is subject to change.
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