DAMION GARDNER REBOUNDS TO TOP PERRIS ACTION
After flipping in his heat race, “The Demon” Damion Gardner (Concord, California) rebounded to win last Saturday’s AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car feature at Perris Auto Speedway. Taking the lead from Brody Roa on lap seventeen, Gardner sailed to his 69th career series win and fourth victory of the year. Roa, Richard Vander Weerd, Austin Liggett, and Austin Williams chased “The Demon” to the checkered flags.
Racing Mark Alexander’s #4 Scott Sales Company / Weld Racing Spike, Damion Gardner earned the $2,500 triumph after starting sixth. Earlier in the program, “The Demon” posted his 68th career Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award after Jake Swanson was disqualified. In his heat race, the four-time champion had secured a transfer spot and flipped after contact with Max Adams, who lost power. After a quick trip to the work area, Gardner came back to score fourth and earned a direct transfer to the main event. With five races left, Damion has a 117 point advantage with three Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, eleven heat race victories, one Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Semi-Main win, one BR Motorsports / King Racing Products Hard Charger Award, sixteen top-10 finishes, and 100 feature laps led.
After leading the first sixteen laps, Brody Roa (Garden Grove, California) had to settle for second at Perris Auto Speedway. Driving the BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Lee & Norma Leonard Maxim, Roa qualified fifth out of twenty-six racers and won the DJ Safety Heat Race #2. The USAC West Coast Champion left Perris ranked fourth in points with one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, six heat race victories, twelve top-10 finishes, and 52 feature laps led on the season.
Richard Vander Weerd (Visalia, California) had a solid night with a third place run at Perris. Piloting the family owned #10 Vander Weerd Construction / Stone Gate Development Maxim, Richard was sixth quick in time trials and placed third in his heat race. Heading to the Western World, the 2011 USAC West Coast Champion is second in points with one feature win, two Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, three heat race victories, fifteen top-10 finishes, and 61 feature laps led to his credit.
Austin Liggett (Tracy, California) had his best USAC/CRA run at Perris with a fourth place finish. Racing the family owned #83 Excel Environmental Services / Lucas Oil ART, Liggett qualified fourth overall and claimed third in his heat race. In limited action, the USAC West Coast standout has two heat race victories and one top-10 finish on the year.
Austin Williams (Yorba Linda, California) scored fifth at the Perris checkered flags. Driving Jack Jory’s #2 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams was second fast in time trials and placed third in his heat race. The 2009 Rookie of the Year is fifth in the standings with two feature wins, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, one heat race victory, one BR Motorsports / King Racing Products Hard Charger Award, thirteen top-10 finishes, and 55 feature laps led.
Jake Swanson (Anaheim, California) earned the night’s BR Motorsports / King Racing Products “Hard Charger Award / Best Passing Job” honors with a seventh place run from twenty-first. Piloting the Tom and Laurie Sertich’s #92 Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror / Clackamas Rigging and Transfer XXX, Swanson was disqualified in time trials with an illegal right rear tire and finished second to Danny Faria Jr. in his heat race. At press time, the 2012 Rookie of the Year sits third in points with one feature win, three Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, two heat race victories, two Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Semi-Main wins, and fourteen top-10 finishes.
Preparing for the upcoming Oval Nationals, “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. (Tipton, California) won the night’s Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Racing his #17V Buster & Ziggy Enterprises / SurfNSprint Spike, Faria qualified thirteenth overall and scored eighth in the main event. The two-time USAC West Coast Sprint Car Champion is currently nineteenth in USAC/CRA points with one heat race victory and four top-10 finishes.
Mike Spencer (Temecula, California) raced to victory in the 10-lap Circle Track Performance / Keizer Wheels Heat Race #3. Driving the Gansen Engineering Motorsports’ #4S Trench Shoring / King Racing Products Maxim, Spencer was third quick in time trials and scored eighteenth in the feature after an early exit. The five-time champion is currently sixth in the point standings with two heat race victories, one Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Semi-Main win, eleven top-10 finishes, and 40 feature laps led.
Chris Gansen (Verdemont Heights, California) won the 12-lap Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Semi-Main. Piloting the Gansen Engineering Motorsports’ #4G Trench Shoring / King Racing Products Maxim, Gansen qualified tenth overall, ran fifth in his heat race, and scored tenth in the main event. Heading to Arizona Speedway, Chris is tenth in points with one heat race victory, one Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Semi-Main win, and two top-10 finishes to his credit.
**LANCE JENNINGS – USAC MEDIA
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USAC AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: October 15, 2016 – Perris, California – Perris Auto Speedway
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Damion Gardner, 4, Alexander-16.593; 2. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-16.660; 3. Mike Spencer, 4S, Gansen-16.700; 4. Austin Liggett, 83, Liggett-16.802; 5. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-16.821; 6. Richard Vander Weerd, 10, Vander Weerd-16.825; 7. Max Adams, 5M, Adams-17.042; 8. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-17.049; 9. Stevie Sussex, 21AZ, Burkhart-17.074; 10. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-17.105; 11. Eddie Tafoya, 51T, Tafoya-17.119; 12. Logan Williams, 5, Jory-17.163; 13. Danny Faria Jr., 17V, Faria-17.187; 14. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-17.314; 15. Tommy Malcom, 5X, Napier-17.315; 16. Cal Smith, 39, Cal-Sun-17.498; 17. Randy Waitman, 69, Waitman-17.701; 18. Jeremy Ellertson, 98, Ellertson-17.709; 19. Kyle Edwards, 39E, Edwards-17.748; 20. Verne Sweeney, 98V, Tracy-17.758; 21. Corey Ballard, 20, Ballard-17.869; 22. Matt Stewart, 84, Stewart-18.196; 23. Andrew Sweeney, 98JR, Tracy-18.233; 24. Tony Everhart, 55, Everhart-19.158. 25. Jake Swanson, 92, Sertich-NT; 26. Parker Colston, 64, Gore-NT.
EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Faria, 2. Swanson, 3. Liggett, 4. Gardner, 5. Gansen, 6. Edwards, 7. Smith, 8. Stewart, 9. Adams. NT
DJ SAFETY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Roa, 2. Bender, 3. A.Williams, 4. C.Williams, 5. Waitman, 6. Colston, 7. A.Sweeney, 8. V.Sweeney. 2:49.41.
CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE / KEIZER ALUMINUM WHEELS THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Spencer, 2. Malcolm, 3. Vander Weerd, 4. Ellertson, 5. L.Williams, 6. Ballard, 7. Sussex, 8. Everhart. 2:52.01.
BROWN & MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS SEMI: (12 laps) 1. Gansen, 2. Sussex, 3. Waitman, 4. Colston, 5. Edwards, 6. Smith, 7. V.Sweeney, 8. Ballard, 9. Stewart, 10. Everhart, 11. A.Sweeney, 12. Tafoya, 13. Adams. 14. L.Williams. 3:29.11
FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Damion Gardner, 2. Brody Roa, 3. Richard Vander Weerd, 4. Austin Liggett, 5. Austin Wiliams, 6. Tommy Malcolm, 7. Jake Swanson, 8. Danny Faria Jr., 9. Stevie Sussex, 10. Chris Gansen, 11. Parker Colston, 12. Jeremy Ellertson, 13. Verne Sweeney, 14. Logan Williams, 15. Matt Stewart, 16. Randy Waitman, 17. Cal Smith, 18. Mike Spencer, 19. Cody Williams, 20. Kyle Edwards, 21. Tony Everhart, 22. Corey Ballard, 23. A.J. Bender. NT
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**Gardner flipped during the first heat. L.Williams & A.Sweeney flipped during the semi.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-16 Roa, Laps 17-30 Gardner.
BR MOTORSPORTS/KING RACING PRODUCTS HARD CHARGER: Jake Swanson (21st to 7th)
NEW AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Gardner-1,293, 2-R.Vander Weerd-1,176, 3-Swanson-1,14 8, 4-Roa-1,080, 5-A.Williams-1,064, 6-Spencer-935, 7-Adams-815, 8-L.Williams-724, 9-C.Williams-676, 10-Gansen-632.
NEXT USAC AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACE: 11/4 – Queen Creek, AZ – Arizona Speedway - “49th Annual Western World”