Perris, California (May 25, 2024)………Matt Mitchell became the sixth three-time winner of the Salute to Indy on Saturday night at California’s Perris Auto Speedway.
In a tradition that dates back to 1948, Mitchell (Yorba Linda, Calif.) became one of the select few to accrue three or more victories in the event, joining Dean Thompson (6), Bubby Jones (5), Billy Wilkerson (4), Damion Gardner (4) and Cory Kruseman (3).
Mitchell also became the first multi-time Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car feature winner of the 2024 season. In doing so, Mitchell also recorded his first multi-win USAC CRA season since scoring a pair of events all the way back during the 2011 season, both of which came at Perris back then as well.
Furthermore, Mitchell’s 11th career series triumph tied him with Austin Williams for seventh on USAC CRA’s all-time feature win list.
Mitchell led early from the pole position, patrolling the first three laps before outside front row starter Logan Williams (Yorba Linda, Calif.) assumed his spot at the front, leading a race-high 18 circuits between laps 4-21.
Mitchell, never straying too far, returned to the forefront on lap 22, then led the remaining nine trips around the 1/2-mile dirt oval to take the checkered flag over new series point leader R.J. Johnson (Laveen, Ariz.), reigning series champion Brody Roa (Garden Grove, Calif.), Logan Williams and A.J. Bender (San Diego, Calif.).
David Gasper (Goleta, Calif.) captured hard charger honors in memory of Jim and Chet Gardner after advancing from his 15th starting position to finish sixth.
Tommy Malcolm (Corona, Calif.) entered the evening as the series point leader, but the seventh place starting driver flipped upside down on the second lap of the feature, resulting in a 15th place finish.
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: May 25, 2024 – Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, California – Salute to Indy
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFYING: 1. Cody Williams, 44, Williams-16.436; 2. Matt McCarthy, 28m, McCarthy-16.492; 3. R.J. Johnson, 51, Johnson-16.507; 4. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-16.682; 5. Logan Williams, 5w, McCarthy-16.734; 6. Matt Mitchell, 37, Mitchell-16.787; 7. Tommy Malcolm, 5x, Napier-16.859; 8. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 51T, Tafoya-16.922; 9. Brody Roa, 8m, May-16.990; 10. Austin Williams, 17w, Dunkel-17.035; 11. Brent Owens, 71, Martin-17.125; 12. Jeff Dyer, 39, Cal-Sun-17.256; 13. Verne Sweeney, 98, Guerrero-17.276; 14. Kyle Edwards, 39E, Edwards-17.303; 15. David Gasper, 18, Kittle/Gasper-18.244; 16. Joey Bishop, 45, Bishop-18.305; 17. Elexa Herrera, 5E, Herrera-18.717.
FLOWDYNAMICS INCORPORATED / SEXTON FIRE PROTECTION FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, all transfer to the feature) 1. A.J. Bender, 2. Tommy Malcolm, 3. Cody Williams, 4. Austin Williams, 5. Verne Sweeney, 6. Joey Bishop. 2:55.56.
BILLSJERKY.NET / FACTORY WRAPS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, all transfer to the feature) 1. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 2. Matt McCarthy, 3. Logan Williams, 4. Kyle Edwards, 5. Brent Owens, 6. Elexa Herrera. 2:58.78.
WC FRIEND COMPANY / IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER THIRD HEAT: (10 laps, all transfer to the feature) 1. Matt Mitchell, 2. R.J. Johnson, 3. Brody Roa, 4. David Gasper, 5. Jeff Dyer. 2:55.19.
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Matt Mitchell (1), 2. R.J. Johnson (4), 3. Brody Roa (9), 4. Logan Williams (2), 5. A.J. Bender (3), 6. David Gasper (15), 7. Austin Williams (10), 8. Eddie Tafoya Jr. (8), 9. Kyle Edwards (14), 10. Elexa Herrera (17), 11. Verne Sweeney (13), 12. Matt McCarthy (5), 13. Brent Owens (11), 14. Joey Bishop (16), 15. Tommy Malcolm (7), 16. Cody Williams (6), 17. Jeff Dyer (12). NT.
**Tommy Malcolm flipped on the second lap of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-3 Matt Mitchell, Laps 4-21 Logan Williams, Laps 22-30 Matt Mitchell.
IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER HARD CHARGER: David Gasper (15th to 6th)
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-R.J. Johnson-386, 2-Tommy Malcolm-364, 3-David Gasper-348, 4-A.J. Bender-342, 5-Austin Williams-338, 6-Logan Williams-338, 7-Cody Williams-291, 8-Eddie Tafoya Jr.-278, 9-Matt Mitchell-247, 10-Charles Davis Jr.-244.
NEXT AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR RACE: June 8 – The Dirt Track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway – Bakersfield, California
