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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series
DAMION GARDNER SCORES 65TH USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR VICTORY AT CANYON
By Lance Jennings
Powering past Brody Roa on the twentieth lap, “The Demon” Damion Gardner of Concord, California won the opening night of Canyon Speedway Park’s “Hall of Fame Classic.” For Gardner, the $3,000 Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car triumph was his eight victory of the campaign. Roa, Jake Swanson, R.J. Johnson, and Josh Hodges chased the 3-time champion to the checkered flags.
Racing Mark Alexander’s #4 Scott Sales Company / Weld Racing Spike, Damion Gardner started third and claimed his series leading 65th main event win. The “World’s Fastest Sprint Car Driver” began his night by qualifying fifth out of twenty-two racers and had a late race surge to win the DJ Safety Heat Race #2. Starting 40 points behind Mike Spencer in the standings, “The Demon” ended his night with a three point advantage.
From the outside of the front row, Brody Roa of Garden Grove, California surged by polesitter Jake Swanson and led the first nineteen laps. Piloting Lee & Norma Leonard’s #48 HD Industries / Burris Racing Maxim, Roa was sixth quick in time trials and took third in his heat race. Running a solid feature, the former Wagsdash Champion lost the lead after a late race restart to score a runner-up finish at Canyon.
Starting on the pole position, Anaheim, California’s Jake Swanson battled hard to score a third place finish in the 30-lap feature. Driving Tom & Laurie Sertich’s #92 Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror / Ram-Bull Racing Victory, Swanson had qualified seventh overall. Later, the young hard charger would claim third in his 10-lap heat race.
R.J. Johnson of Laveen, Arizona ran fourth in the opening night of the “Hall of Fame Classic.” Racing Bobby Martin’s new #51 Weiler Farms / Pecon Builders Sherman, the USAC SouthWest point leader was fourth fast in time trials. Afterwards, the second generation driver placed fourth in his heat.
Tijeras, New Mexico’s Josh Hodges scored fifth in the hard fought main event. Piloting the family owned #74X Parts Plus / Mesilla Valley Transportation Maxim, Hodges qualified third overall. The young, versatile driver followed up his strong qualifying effort by running second to Mike Spencer in his heat race.
A.J. Bender of San Diego, California earned the night’s DMI / Keizer Wheels “Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with a thirteenth place run from twenty-second. Driving the family owned #21 K&R Motorsports / Rosson Racing DRC, Bender posted twenty-second quick in time trials. The former California Lightning Sprint Rookie of the Year ran sixth in his heat race.
Yuma, Arizona’s “The Magic Man” Mike Martin earned his first Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award of the season. Earning an additional $150 form Beaver Stripes, the pilot of his #16 Sherwin-Williams / Ultimate Offroad Maxim scored fifth in his heat race. Later, the former “Hall of Fame Classic” Champion would go on to claim sixth in the main event.
“Chargin” Charles Davis Jr. of Buckeye, Arizona raced to victory in the 10-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Driving the Massey Motorsports’ #50 RSS Industries / Rod End Supply RSS, Davis qualified thirteenth overall. In the main event, the five-time Arizona Sprint Car Champion had a fifteenth place finish.
Temecula, California’s Mike Spencer won the night’s Saldana Racing Products / Circle Track Performance Heat Race #3. Racing Ron Chaffin’s #50 Grubstake Mini Storage / Madera Produce Maxim, Spencer posted ninth fast in time trials. The five-time champion scored seventeenth in the feature after a flip ended his night.
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:
October 23, 2015 – Peoria, Arizona – Canyon Speedway Park – “Hall of Fame Classic”
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY TIME TRIALS:
1. Mike Martin, 16, Martin-13.525; 2. Richard Vander Weerd, 10, Vander Weerd-13.708; 3. Josh Hodges, 74X, Hodges-13.722; 4. R.J. Johnson, 51, Martin-13.728; 5. Damion Gardner, 4, Alexander-13.903; 6. Brody Roa, 48, Leonard-14.022; 7. Jake Swanson, 92, Sertich-14.034; 8. Josh Pelkey, 12, Allen-14.105; 9. Mike Spencer, 50, Chaffin-14.121; 10. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-14.204; 11. Logan Williams, 5, Jory-14.228; 12. Shon Deskins, 20, Deskins-14.277; 13. Charles Davis Jr., 50AZ, Massey-14.327; 14. Parker Colston, 64, Gore-14.439; 15. Dustin Cormany, 21AZ, Burkhart-14.503; 16. Matt Rossi, 02, Rossi-14.556; 17. Matt Lundy, 1, Lundy-14.590; 18. Tye Mihocko, 5M, Mihocko-14.666; 19. Jeremy Ellertson, 98, Ellertson-14.812; 20. Michael Curtis, 45C, Turner/Wheeler-14.863; 21. Austin Williams, 2. Jory-15.714; 22. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-16.322.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE #1: (10 laps)
1. Davis, 2. Rossi, 3. Swanson, 4. Johnson, 5. Martin, 6. Bender, 7. Ellertson, 8. C.Williams. NT
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE #2: (10 laps)
1. Gardner, 2. Pelkey, 3. Vander Weerd, 4. Colston, 5. L.Williams, 6. Lundy, 7. Curtis. NT
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE HEAT RACE #3: (10 laps)
1. Spencer, 2. Hodges, 3. Roa, 4. Mihocko, 5. Deskins, 6. Cormany, 7. A.Williams. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Damion Gardner (3rd), 2. Brody Roa (2nd), 3. Jake Swanson (1st), 4. R.J. Johnson (4th), 5. Josh Hodges (5th), 6. Mike Martin (7th), 7. Josh Pelkey (8th), 8. Shon Deskins (12th), 9. Richard Vander Weerd (6th), 10. Cody Williams (10th), 11. Jeremy Ellertson (19th), 12. Tye Mihocko (18th), 13. A.J. Bender (22nd), 14. Michael Curtis (20th), 15. Charles Davis Jr. (13th), 16. Matt Lundy (17th), 17. Mike Spencer (9th), 18. Matt Rossi (16th), 19. Parker Colston (14th), 20. Dustin Cormany (15th), 21. Logan Williams (11th), 22. Austin Williams (21st). NT
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**Spencer and Lundy flipped during the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-19 Roa, Laps 20-30 Gardner.
DMI / KEIZER WHEELS HARD CHARGER: A.J. Bender (22nd to 13th)
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