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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series
DAMION GARDNER WINS “8TH ANNUAL GLENN HOWARD CLASSIC” AT PERRIS
By Lance Jennings
SEPTEMBER 22, 2015... Racing past Austin Williams and shaking free from Mike Spencer, “The Demon” Damion Gardner of Concord, California won the “8th Annual Glenn Howard Classic.” By taking Saturday’s Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car victory at Perris Auto Speedway, the 3-time champion earned $2,500 for his efforts. Fast Qualifier Spencer, Williams, “The Cadillac” Cody Williams, and Brody Roa rounded out the top-five drivers.
As starter Kevin Winters waved the green flag, polesitter Matt Mitchell took command in Shawn McDonald’s #9 Sled. With one lap down, Austin Williams streaked past Mitchell and looked to run away from the competition. Searching for his first “home track” win, Williams set a torrid pace and built a comfortable advantage. Charging from fifth, Gardner took over second and set his sights on the leader. Still running fast laps, Williams continued to run strong as Gardner inched closer. However, a caution on the eighteenth lap erased Austin’s huge lead and proved to be the break that the front runners needed. On the restart, Damion managed to slip past Williams for the top spot as Roa and Spencer battled for third. With the laps counting down, Spencer took over the runner-up spot and started to pressure Gardner. “The Demon” escaped from Mike’s pursuit and claimed his series leading 64th feature win.
Driving Mark Alexander’s #4 Scott Sales Company / Weld Racing Spike, Damion Gardner became the first driver to score back-to-back “Howard Classic” wins. The 30-lap victory was also the fifth Howard triumph for Alexander, who celebrated wins with “The Cowboy” Tony Jones and Nic Faas. Earlier in the program, Gardner qualified second out of the 23 racers, honored crewman Jeff Stitch with a memorial lap, and won the night’s 10-lap DJ Safety Heat Race #2. Heading to Canyon’s “Hall of Fame Classic,” Damion ranks second in points with seven feature wins, two Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, seven heat race victories, fourteen top-10 finishes, and 154 feature laps led.
Starting sixth, Temecula, California’s Mike Spencer had a late surge and pressured Gardner for the lead. The pilot of Ron Chaffin’s #50 Grubstake Mini Storage / Madera Produce Maxim had to settle for second and left Perris with a 40-point advantage. At the Glenn Howard Classic,” the five-time champion earned his sixth Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award and won the 10-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. In addition, Mike has one feature win, seven heat race victories, two Competition Suspension Inc. / Rod End Supply Semi-Main wins, two Keizer Wheels / DMI Hard Charger Awards, seventeen, ten top-10 finishes, and 23 feature laps led to his credit.
After leading seventeen laps, Austin Williams of Yorba Linda, California ran third at Perris Auto Speedway. Racing Jack Jory’s #2 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams was fourth quick in time trials and placed fourth in his heat race. To date, the former Rookie of the Year sits fourth in the standings with two heat race victories, one Keizer Wheels / DMI Hard Charger Award, and fifteen top-10 finishes on the season.
Corona, California’s “The Cadillac” Cody Williams stormed from seventh to finish third in the “Howard Classic.” Driving Jack Jory’s #44 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams qualified seventh overall and scored fifth in his heat race. The former National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Rookie of the Year currently ranks eighth in the point chase with one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, one heat race victory, ten top-10 finishes, and one feature lap led.
Brody Roa of Garden Grove, California battled hard to finish fifth in the 30-lap main event. Piloting Lee & Norma Leonard’s #48 HD Industries / Burris Racing Maxim, Roa was fifth fast in time trials and ran second to Gardner in his heat race. The former Wagsdash Champion left Perris ranked sixth in the point standings with one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, three heat race victories, and twelve top-10 finishes in the campaign.
Moore, Oklahoma’s Tobey Sampson earned the night’s DMI / Keizer Wheels “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with a thirteenth place run from twenty-first. Driving the Don Blair Racing #12B In Memory of Bill & Evelyn Pratt / H&H Flat Heads JB, Sampson qualified twenty-first overall and placed sixth in his heat race. In limited starts, the Okie Sprint Car Chassis builder is thirty-sixth in the USAC/CRA point chase.
David Bezio of El Cajon, California raced to his first heat race victory of the year in the Saldana Racing Products / Circle Track Performance sponsored event. Piloting his #37X Ralls Precision Machine / SC Grafix Victory, Bezio was eighteenth fast in time trials and claimed fifteenth in the “Glenn Howard Classic.” In limited action, the California Lightning Sprint graduate has two top-10 finishes and one feature lap led to his credit.
Starting Friday, October 23rd, the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Cars will battle at Canyon Speedway Park in Peoria, Arizona. The two night "Hall of Fame Classic" will also showcase Mini Sprints, Arizona Differential Pure Stocks, and Vintage Cars. For more event and ticket information, visit www.canyonspeedwaypark.com or call (602) 258-7223 (RACE).
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 series, visit the United States Auto Club (USAC) website at www.usacracing.com. You can also find exclusive content on the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Facebook and Twitter pages. Loudpedal Productions has DVDs available for purchase that feature the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Cars and for more information, call 805.407.7229 or visit www.loudpedalvideo.com.
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AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS:
September 19, 2015 – Perris, California – Perris Auto Speedway – “Glenn Howard Classic”
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY TIME TRIALS:
1. Mike Spencer, 50, Chaffin-16.435; 2. Damion Gardner, 4, Alexander-16.489; 3. Jake Swanson, 92, Sertich-16.499; 4. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-16.525; 5. Brody Roa, 48, Leonard-16.744; 6. Matt Mitchell, 93, Gardner-16.843; 7. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-16.919; 8. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-16.960; 9. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-17.019; 10. Richard Vander Weerd, 10, Vander Weerd-17.020; 11. Parker Colston, 64, Gore-17.056; 12. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-17.157; 13. Logan Williams, 5, Jory-17.169; 14. Dwayne Marcum, 25, Yount-17.363; 15. Eddie Tafoya, 51, Tafoya-17.426; 16. Verne Sweeney, 98X, Tracy-17.435; 17. Dennis Howell, 62, Howell-17.444; 18. David Bezio, 37X, Bezio-17.538; 19. Anthony Lopiccolo, 36, Springstead-17.738; 20. Jeremy Ellertson, 98, Ellertson-17.843; 21. Tobey Sampson, 12B, Blair-18.647; 22. Mike Collins, 04, Collins-NT; 23. Mikey Lovas, 36X, Lovas-NT.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE #1: (10 laps)
1. Spencer, 2. L.Williams, 3. Vander Weerd, 4. A.Williams, 5. C.Williams, 6. Lopiccolo, 7. Sweeney. 2:53.28
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE #2: (10 laps)
1. Gardner, 2. Roa, 3. Bender, 4. Colston, 5. Howell, 6. Lovas, 7. Ellertson, 8. Marcum. NT
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE HEAT RACE #3: (10 laps)
1. Bezio, 2. Swanson, 3. Malcolm, 4. Mitchell, 5. Gansen, 6. Sampson, 7. Tafoya. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Damion Gardner (5th), 2. Mike Spencer (6th), 3. Austin Williams (3rd), 4. Cody Williams (7th), 5. Brody Roa (2nd), 6. Richard Vander Weerd (10th), 7. Matt Mitchell (1st), 8. Parker Colston (11th), 9. Jake Swanson (4th), 10. Tommy Malcolm (9th), 11. A.J. Bender (8th), 12. Verne Sweeney (16th), 13. Tobey Sampson (21st), 14. Logan Williams (13th), 15. David Bezio (18th), 16. Mikey Lovas (22nd), 17. Dennis Howell (17th), 18. Chris Gansen (12th), 19. Anthony Lopiccolo (19th), 20. Dwayne Marcum (14th), 21. Eddie Tafoya (15th), 22. Jeremy Ellertson (20th). NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Lap 1 Mitchell, Laps 2-18 A.Williams, Laps 19-30 Gardner.
DMI / KEIZER WHEELS HARD CHARGER: Tobey Sampson (21st to 13th)
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT POINT STANDINGS:
1. Mike Spencer-1052, 2. Damion Gardner-1012, 3. Richard Vander Weerd-958, 4. Austin Williams-904, 5. Jake Swanson-849, 6. Brody Roa-799, 7. Matt Mitchell-772, 8. Cody Williams-651, 9. Logan Williams-577, 10. Ryan Bernal-482, 11. Parker Colston-415, 12. Jace Vander Weerd-346, 13. Chris Gansen-340, 14. Danny Faria Jr.-334; 15. A.J. Bender-300, 16. Rickie Gaunt-250, 17. Tommy Malcolm-243, 18. Jeremy Ellertson-233, 19. David Bezio-181, 20. Brady Bacon-171.
2015 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE:
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
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 / $5,000-to-Win)
November 13: *Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Budweiser Oval Nationals / $5,000-to-Win)
November 14: *Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Budweiser Oval Nationals / $25,000-to-Win)
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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