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Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series
A RETROSPECTIVE: THE SECOND ANNUAL CALIFORNIA SPRINT WEEK
By Lance Jennings
When Hollister, California’s Ryan Bernal took the checkered flags at Santa Maria on September 12th, he added the “2nd Annual California Sprint Week” crown to his resume. Capping off an intense schedule of six races in eight nights, the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series also traveled to Calistoga, Petaluma, Chico, and Hanford. In all, the mini-series was deemed a success with fifty-three drivers taking the green flag and an average car count of twenty-four.
On Saturday, September 5th, the famed Calistoga Speedway hosted the opening round with 28 cars on hand for the “Louie Vermeil Classic.” USAC National Midget Champion Rico Abreu earned the night’s Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award by turning a lap of 19.275 seconds. USAC National Sprint Car Champion Brady Bacon, USAC West Coast Sprint Champion Matt Mitchell, Bernal, and D.J. Johnson scored heat race victories. After missing a direct transfer to the feature, five-time USAC/CRA Champion Mike Spencer won the 12-lap Competition Suspension Inc. / Rod End Supply Semi-Main. In the main event, polesitter Richard Vander Weerd led the first eleven laps before Bernal took command. Piloting the Mike Phulps’ owned #56 Metal Works ART, Ryan scored the $7,000 victory as the race was called on lap twenty-seven. Former USAC Western Classic Champion “The Human Highlight Reel” Geoff Ensign was the DMI / Keizer Wheels Hard Charger with an eighth place run from twenty-first.
The following night, former Wagsdash Champion Brody Roa set fast time (19.720) at Calistoga’s large half-mile over 25 racers. Bernal, “The Madman” Robert Ballou, and “The Demon” Damion Gardner drove to victory in the night’s 10-lap heat races. With $7,000 up for grabs at the “Louie Vermeil Classic” finale, polesitter “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. led the opening four laps. Looking for his first series win, Jake Swanson passed Faria on the fifth circuit and Rico Abreu powered to the lead five laps later. Racing his #24 Abreu Vineyards Maxim, Abreu sailed to his second straight “Vermeil Classic” victory. It was a clean sweep for Rico as he also won the companion USAC Western Midget feature. Jeff Sibley, a regular with the USAC West Coast Series, was the night’s hard charger by scoring sixteenth after starting twenty-fourth.
The non-winged 410s traveled to Petaluma Speedway for a rare Monday night show. With 26 cars at the 3/8-mile oval, 14 racers broke the 1-lap track record and Jake Swanson set the new standard of 13.457. The 10-lap heat races were claimed by Ensign, Johnson, and Roa, while Mitchell won the 12-lap semi-main event. Faced with changing track conditions, the lead switched hands seven times between five drivers in the main event. When the dust settled, Mike Spencer took Ron Chaffin’s #50 Grubstake Mini Storage Maxim to his first win of the season. The five-time champion was also the night’s DMI / Keizer Wheels Hard Charger by taking the victory from seventeenth.
The USAC/CRA Sprint Cars headlined the Thursday “Gold Cup Race of Champions” program at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway. Multi-time California Sprint Car Civil War Champion Andy Forsberg (14.021) out-qualified the 31 car field at the quarter-mile oval and won the semi-main. 2006 USAC/CRA Champion “The Kruser” Cory Kruseman, Gardner, Swanson, and Mitchell took the checkered flags in their respective heat races. In the main event, polesitter Ryan Bernal led wire-to-wire in Mike Phulps’ #56 Metal Works ART. It was a night to remember for Bernal as he also won the companion USAC Western & BCRA Midget race. Colby Copeland earned “hard charger / best passing” job honors with a sixth place run from eighteenth.
On Friday, September 11th, Hanford’s Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds hosted the fifth round of the “California Sprint Week.” USAC/CRA last ran at Hanford on May 19, 2012 and “The Cadillac” Cody Williams (15.451) bested nineteen drivers to earn his first Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award. Spencer, former USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year Jace Vander Weerd, and Bernal claimed victory in their 10-lap heat races. Damion Gardner led the first three laps of the main event before Richard Vander Weerd took control. The former USAC West Coast Champion led three circuits until getting airborne in the third turn. Vander Weerd saved his mount and slid to a stop. Driving Mark Alexander’s #4 Scott Sales Company Spike, Gardner maintained the top spot and shook free from Bernal. “The Demon” sailed to the Jim Turner Memorial victory and celebrated one of the most emotional wins of his career. Former USAC West Coast Champion “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. was the night’s DMI / Keizer Wheels Hard Charger by racing to sixth from seventeenth.
The next night, the mini-series shifted to the newly renamed Santa Maria Raceway for the finale of the “California Sprint Week.” Damion Gardner out-qualified the seventeen car field by posting a lap of 13.441 seconds. Roa won the Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1 and leading Rookie of the Year candidate Parker Colston earned his first career heat race win, sponsored by DJ Safety. Ryan Bernal jumped into Keith Ford’s #73 Berry Pack Spike and led all 30-laps of the main event to cap off a successful mini-series. Ryan also won the inaugural “California Midget Week” title in a Keith Ford entry after engine problems sidelined his Six8 Motorsports ride. 2009 Rookie of the Year Austin Williams earned “hard charger / best passing” job honors with a third place run from tenth.
Everyone with the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series is saddened by the passing of Jeff Stich. Jeff, a crewman for Damion Gardner and Alexander Racing, was injured at Calistoga on September 5th. Our condolences to the Stich family, Damion, and the Alexander Team.
Starting Thursday, November 12th, the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Cars will return to Perris Auto Speedway for three nights of action at the 20th Annual Oval Nationals Presented by All Coast Construction. Co-sanctioned with the Amsoil USAC National Sprint Cars, the Saturday night finale will pay $25,000-to-win. Located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds in Perris, California, 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 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 SERIES:
2015 CALIFORNIA SPRINT WEEK RECAP: September 5- September 12, 2015
RACES: 6
AVERAGE CAR COUNT: 24
TOTAL DRIVERS: 53
FEATURE WINS- DRIVER:
3-Ryan Bernal, 1-Rico Abreu, 1-Damion Gardner, 1-Mike Spencer.
FEATURE WINS- CAR OWNER:
2-Mike Phulps, 1-Abreu Racing, 1-Mark Alexander, 1-Ron Chaffin, 1-Keith Ford.
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY FAST TIMES:
1-Rico Abreu, 1-Andy Forsberg, 1-Damion Gardner, 1-Brody Roa, 1-Jake Swanson, 1-Cody Williams.
1-LAP TRACK RECORDS: 1-Jake Swanson (Petaluma)
HEAT RACE VICTORIES:
3-Ryan Bernal, 2-Damion Gardner, 2-D.J. Johnson, 2-Matt Mitchell, 2-Brody Roa, 1-Brady Bacon, 1-Robert Ballou, 1-Parker Colston, 1-Geoff Ensign, 1-Cory Kruseman, 1-Mike Spencer, 1-Jake Swanson, 1-Jace Vander Weerd.
COMPETITION SUSPENSION INC. / ROD END SUPPLY SEMI-MAIN WINS:
1-Andy Forsberg, 1-Matt Mitchell, 1-Mike Spencer
TOP-5 FINISHES:
6-Ryan Bernal, 4-Mike Spencer, 4-Jake Swanson, 2-Rico Abreu, 2-Andy Forsberg, 2-Damion Gardner, 2-Brody Roa, 2-Austin Williams, 1-Danny Faria Jr., 1-D.J. Johnson, 1-Austin Liggett, 1-Matt Mitchell, 1-Kevin Thomas Jr., 1-Richard Vander Weerd
TOP-10 FINISHES:
6-Ryan Bernal, 6-Mike Spencer, 5-Richard Vander Weerd, 5-Austin Williams, 4-Danny Faria Jr., 4-Jake Swanson, 3-Damion Gardner, 3-Brody Roa, 3-Cody Williams, 2-Rico Abreu, 2-Geoff Ensign, 2-Andy Forsberg, 2-D.J. Johnson, 2-Matt Mitchell, 2-Jeff Sibley, 2-Logan Williams, 1-Keith Bloom Jr., 1-Colby Copeland, 1-Jeremy Ellertson, 1-Austin Liggett, 1-Colton Slack, 1-Kevin Thomas Jr., 1-Jace Vander Weerd
DMI / KEIZER WHEELS HARD CHARGER AWARDS:
1-Colby Copeland, 1-Geoff Ensign, 1-Danny Faria Jr., 1-Jeff Sibley, 1-Mike Spencer, 1-Austin Williams
FEATURE LAPS LED:
76-Ryan Bernal, 27-Damion Gardner, 21-Rico Abreu, 14-Richard Vander Weerd, 12-Geoff Ensign, 9-Austin Williams, 7-Jake Swanson, 6-Mike Spencer, 4-Danny Faria Jr., 1-Cody Williams
CALIFORNIA SPRINT WEEK POINT STANDINGS:
1. Ryan Bernal-401, 2. Mike Spencer-333, 3. Jake Swanson-296, 4. Richard Vander Weerd-292, 5. Damion Gardner-286, 6. Brody Roa-277, 7. Austin Williams-241, 8. Danny Faria Jr.-222, 9. Logan Williams-209, 10. Cody Williams-203, 11. Parker Colston-158, 12. D.J. Johnson-150, 13. Matt Mitchell-139, 14. Rico Abreu-138, 15. Andy Forsberg-131, 16. Geoff Ensign-122, 17. Kevin Thomas Jr.-121, 18. Chris Gansen-109, 19. Jeff Sibley-102, 20. Colton Slack-96, 21. Jeremy Ellertson-66, ---. Jace Vander Weerd-66, 23. Austin Liggett-57, 24. Cory Kruseman-55, 25. Eric Rossi-54, 26. John Clark-53, 27. Austin Mero-52, ---. Colby Copeland-52, 29. Keith Bloom-48, 30. Max Adams-45, 31. Robert Ballou-43, 32. Joe Stornetta-37, 33. Brady Bacon-35, 34. Chase Johnson-32, 35. Gavin Harlien-28, ---. Shawn Arriaga-28, 37. A.J. Bender-26, ---. Koen Shaw-26, 39. James Herrera-25, 40. Kyler Shaw-24, 41. Jason McIntosh-18, ---. Chris Ennis-18, ---. Tommy Laliberte-18, 44. Trevor Schmid-16, ---. Jake Morgan-16, 46. Shawn Wright-5, 47. Chris Dyson-2, ---. Jim Richardson-2, 49. Jimmy Trulli-1, ---. Braedon Enos-1, ---. Ron Laplant-1, ---. Terry Shank Jr.-1, ---. Tim Decarlo Jr.-1
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. Mike Spencer-1145; 2. Damion Gardner-1123; 3. Richard Vander Weerd-1054; 4. Jake Swanson-960; 5. Austin Williams-948; 6. Brody Roa-928; 7. Matt Mitchell-772; 8. Cody Williams-717; 9. Logan Williams-636; 10. Ryan Bernal-482; 11. Parker Colston-453; 12. Jace Vander Weerd-346; 13. Chris Gansen-340; 14. Danny Faria, Jr.-334; 15. A.J. Bender-330; 16. Jeremy Ellertson-297; 17. R.J. Johnson-283; 18. Rickie Gaunt-250; 19. Tommy Malcolm-243; 20. Josh Pelkey-226.
2015 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE:
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
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 / $5,000-to-Win)
November 20: *USA Raceway - Tucson, AZ (Western World Championships / $5,000-to-Win)
November 21: *USA Raceway - Tucson, AZ (Western World Championships / $7,500-to-Win)
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* = Co-Sanctioned Event with USAC National Sprints.
This schedule is subject to change.
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