AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS RETURN TO PERRIS FOR “SALUTE TO INDY”
By Lance Jennings
MAY 17, 2021... The cars and stars of the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will return to their “home track,” Perris Auto Speedway, this Saturday, May 22nd for the “Salute to Indy.” Promoted by Don Kazarian, the prestigious event will also showcase the PAS Senior Sprint Cars at “America’s Premier Dirt Track.” The show will follow COVID-19 protocols and face coverings are required for people on the grounds. Tickets for the event are only available online at tix.com and walk up tickets will not be sold. The Front Gates will open at 5:00pm and Racing is scheduled for 7:00pm. Located at the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in Perris, California, more event information can be found at perrisautospeedway.com or calling 951.940.0134. For those that cannot be at the races, floracing.com will broadcast a live stream of the night’s action over the internet.
NOTICE TO RACERS:
- THE 2019 RULE BOOK WILL BE FOLLOWED in regards to race format and weight rule (1,325 lbs. with driver)
- 2021 APPROVED/LEGAL TIRES: THE HOOSIER 105/18 HTW RIGHT REAR TIRES ARE NOW USAC/CRA LEGAL. The 105/16 Medium, 105/18 Hard, and 105/18 F85A are also legal with the series. Hoosier Tires are mandatory on all four corners.
- ALL RACERS MUST PURCHASE THEIR USAC LICENSE / MEMBERSHIPS ONLINE PRIOR TO THE EVENT AT USACRACING.COM OR USACLICENSE.COM. (If racers have a membership question, contact Julie Tanaka at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .)
- California state protocol calls for competitors, crews, officials, and anyone on the grounds to practice safe social distancing, proper sanitizing, and follow local regulations regarding the COVID-19 Coronavirus.
- 2021 APPROVED/LEGAL MUFFLERS: EXTREME: 6014-3535, 3615-3535; SCHOENFELD: 14272535, 14272735-78; FLOWMASTER: 53545-10, 13516100, 13516101; COAST FABRICATION: 350x625x17-2S; B&B: FRAC-0375S; SPINTECH: 1545P SUPER STOCK
*Failure to comply with the muffler rule will risk disqualification from the event.
- TRANSPONDERS ARE MANDATORY: Series officials will have transponders to rent at the track for those racers that do not have them.
- ONE WAY DRIVER RADIOS ARE MANDATORY.
- FRONT AXLE TETHER SYSTEMS (2-Chassis, 1-King Pin to King Pin) ARE MANDATORY.
- FULL CONTAINMENT SEATS ARE MANDATORY.
- Cockpit adjustable shocks ARE ALLOWED.
- USAC/CRA charges a $25 entry fee to all competitors.
The annual "Salute to Indy" has been a Southern California tradition going back to 1948 when Dempsey Wilson claimed the checkered flags with the original California Racing Association. When Perris Auto Speedway opened their doors in 1996, the Riverside County oval brought the tradition back and NASCAR driver J.J. Yeley scored the victory. Last year’s event was cancelled due to the pandemic, but Missouri’s Hunter Schuerenberg won the 2019 race over Jake Swanson, Richard Vander Weerd, Matt Mitchell, and R.J. Johnson. The event winner’s list is at the bottom of this release.
Since March 6, 2004, the Lake Perris Fairgrounds has held 224 AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car events and forty-two different drivers have claimed victory. “The Demon” Damion Gardner leads all drivers with 47 “home track” wins and the 1-lap track record of 15.833 was set by Nic Faas on February 25, 2012. On April 24th, Gardner won his fourth “Sokola Shootout” and a complete series win list at Perris is at the end of this release.
Heading to the sixth point race, “The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams (Yorba Linda, CA) holds a slim two-point margin over the competition. Piloting Tom and Laurie Sertich’s #92 Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror / Lucas Oil DRC, Williams claimed a sixth place finish at Bakersfield Speedway on April 8th. At press time, the 2009 Co-Rookie of the Year has one heat race victory, five top-10 finishes and 11 feature laps led to his credit. Austin is a two-time winner (2016 and 2018) of the “Salute to Indy” and will be looking for the tenth victory of his career.
“The Demon” Damion Gardner (Concord, CA) ranks second in the USAC/CRA point standings. Driving Mark Alexander’s #1 PerformanceOnline.com / Carman Trucking Spike, Gardner ran second to Chase Johnson at Bakersfield. To date, “The World’s Fastest Sprint Car Driver” has posted one feature win, four Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, two heat race victories, four top-10 finishes, and 32 feature laps led in the campaign. The eight-time champion leads all drivers with eighty-four USAC/CRA wins and will have his sights on winning his fifth (2003, 2004, 2014, 2017) “Salute to Indy.”
Chris Gansen (Verdemont Heights, CA) sits third in the championship point chase. Racing the family owned #4G Trench Shoring / Circle Track Performance Maxim, Gansen charged from thirteenth to fourth at Bakersfield Speedway. The veteran driver is having his best start of the season by posting one In Memory of Jim & Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, five top-10 finishes, and 1 feature lap led on the year. Chris will be looking to earn the first win of his career this Saturday night at Perris Auto Speedway.
“The Pride of Garden Grove” Brody Roa (Garden Grove, CA) ranks fourth in the chase for the championship. Piloting BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Burris Racing Eagle, Roa scored a fourth place run at Bakersfield. At press time, the 2016 USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Champion has three top-10 finishes and 47 feature laps led on the season. Brody has eight career wins and will have his sights on adding his name to the “Salute to Indy” winner’s list.
Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm (Corona, CA) is fifth in the championship point standings. Driving Dino Napier’s #5X Indiana Truck Salvage / B&B Powder Coating Maxim, Malcolm raced from eighteenth to eleventh at Bakersfield Speedway. To date, the young driver has one heat race victory, three top-10 finishes and will be looking for his first USAC/CRA win this Saturday night.
Heading to Perris Auto Speedway, Austin Grabowksi (Riverside, CA) leads the chase for Rookie of the Year honors. Ryan Timmons (Pleasant Hill, CA), Jake Hodges (Camarillo, CA), Ikaika O’Brien (Oahu, HI), and Brent Owens (Rancho Cucamonga, CA) are also in contention.
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are “The Cadillac” Cody Williams, “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr., “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr., Matt Mitchell, Verne Sweeney, A.J. Bender, Matt McCarthy, Austin Liggett, Steve Hix, Logan Williams, Joel Rayborne, Eddie Tafoya Jr., “Speedy” Stevie Sussex, and more.
Perris Auto Speedway is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in Perris, California. Pit passes are available and grandstand tickets are only available online at tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7. THERE WILL BE NO WALKUP SALES FOR THE EVENT. The show will follow COVID-19 protocols and face coverings are required for people on the grounds. For more event information, visit the track’s website at perrisautospeedway.com or call 951.940.0134.
The AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks All Coast Construction, BillsJerky.com, Component Repair Company, Factory Wraps, Flowdynamics, Hoosier Racing Tire, Huntington Beach Glass and Mirror, In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner, Woodland Auto Display, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, FloRacing, Loudpedal Productions, Rod End Supply, surfNsprint.com, Saldana Racing Products, Sway-A-Way Torsion Bars, and Ultra Shield Race Products for their support. If you or your company would like to become part of the series, contact Tony Jones at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or PR Director Lance Jennings at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
For more information on the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series, visit the United States Auto Club (USAC) website at usacracing.com and the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content on the USAC/CRA Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
FloRacing.com has live, flag-to-flag coverage of the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series. You can catch the action by subscribing to FloRacing on a monthly or yearly basis to view their huge catalog of live and on-demand auto racing and sporting events.
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AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS: 2004-Rip Williams, 2005-Damion Gardner, 2006-Cory Kruseman, 2007-Tony Jones, 2008-Mike Spencer, 2009-Mike Spencer, 2010-Mike Spencer, 2011-Mike Spencer, 2012-Mike Spencer, 2013-Damion Gardner, 2014-Damion Gardner, 2015-Damion Gardner, 2016-Damion Gardner, 2017-Damion Gardner, 2018-Damion Gardner, 2019-Damion Gardner, 2020-NO AWARD.
"SALUTE TO INDY" WINNERS: 1948-Dempsey Wilson, 1949-Bob Denny, 1950-NO RACE, 1951-NO RACE, 1952-Colby Scroggin, 1953-Bob Denny, 1954-Harry Stockman, 1955-Rosie Roussel, 1956-Art Bisch, 1957-Ray Clark, 1958-Bud Rose, 1959-Roy Prosser, 1960-NO RACE, 1961-Jack Brunner, 1962-Colby Scroggin, 1963-Billy Cantrell, 1964-Hal Minyard, 1965-NO RACE, 1966-Bruce Walkup, 1967-Bob Hogle, 1968-Billy Wilkerson, 1969-Billy Wilkerson, 1970-NO RACE, 1971-Dick Zimmerman / Don Hamilton, 1972-Billy Wilkerson, 1973-Billy Wilkerson, 1974-Jimmy Oskie, 1975-Clark Templeman, 1976-Mike Shaw, 1977-John Redican, 1978-Dean Thompson / Tony Simon, 1979-Bobby Olivero, 1980-Bubby Jones / Dean Thompson / Dean Thompson, 1981-Dean Thompson / Dean Thompson, 1982-Dean Thompson / Bubby Jones, 1983-Rip Williams / Bubby Jones, 1984-Bubby Jones, 1985-Eddie Wirth, 1986-Bubby Jones, 1987-Mike Sweeney, 1988-Lealand McSpadden, 1989-Brad Noffsinger, 1990-Ron Shuman, 1991-NO RACE, 1992-NO RACE, 1993-NO RACE, 1994-NO RACE, 1995-NO RACE, 1997-Cory Kruseman, 1998-Mike Kirby, 1999-Troy Rutherford, 2000-Richard Griffin, 2001-Cory Kruseman, 2002-Mike Kirby, 2003-Damion Gardner, 2004-Damion Gardner, 2005-Cory Kruseman, 2006-Tony Jones, 2007-Blake Miller, 2008-RAIN, 2009-Blake Miller, 2010-David Cardey, 2011-Matt Mitchell, 2012-Mike Spencer, 2013-Matt Mitchell, 2014-Damion Gardner, 2015-Richard Vander Weerd, 2016-Austin Williams, 2017-Damion Gardner, 2018-Austin Williams, 2019-Hunter Schuerenberg, 2020-CANCELLED. (Some events were two day shows or twin main events.)
2021 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 2-Max Adams, 1-Damion Gardner, 1-Chase Johnson, 1-Ryan Timmons.
PERRIS AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 47-Damion Gardner, 24-Mike Spencer, 19-Tony Jones, 17-Cory Kruseman, 9-Nic Faas, 8-David Cardey, 8-Richard Vander Weerd, 7-Rip Williams, 6-Bryan Clauson, 6-Mike Kirby, 6-Matt Mitchell, 6-Danny Sheridan, 5-Rickie Gaunt, 5-Justin Grant, 5-Austin Williams, 4-Robert Ballou, 4-Dave Darland, 4-R.J. Johnson, 3-Garrett Hansen, 2-Brady Bacon, 2-Darren Hagen, 2-Jesse Hockett, 2-Levi Jones, 2-Blake Miller, 2-Brody Roa, 2-Kevin Thomas Jr., 2-Chris Windom, 1-Chad Boespflug, 1-Greg Bragg, 1-Daron Clayton, 1-Charles Davis Jr., 1-Josh Ford, 1-Josh Hodges, 1-Bud Kaeding, 1-C.J. Leary, 1-Adam Mitchell, 1-Johnny Rodriguez, 1-Hunter Schuerenberg, 1-Chase Stockon, 1-Jake Swanson, 1-Scotty Weir, 1-Jason York.
2021 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Austin Williams-353, 2. Damion Gardner-351, 3. Chris Gansen-302, 4. Brody Roa-291, 5. Tommy Malcolm-261, 6. Cody Williams-253, 7. Max Adams-195, --. Danny Faria Jr.-195, 9. Charles Davis Jr.-192, 10. Austin Grabowski ®-179, 11. Matt Mitchell-176, 12. Verne Sweeney-168, 13. A.J. Bender-167, 14. Ryan Timmons ®-166, 15. Matt McCarthy-164, 16. Jake Hodges ®-159, 17. Austin Liggett-149, 18. Steve Hix-148, 19. Austin Ervine-128, 20. Rick Hendrix-119, 21. Davey Ray-105, 22. Troy Rutherford-97, 23. Ikaika O'Brien ®-96, 24. Logan Williams-91, 25. Joel Rayborne-90, 26. Brent Owens ®-82, 27. Chase Johnson-78, 28. Tanner Boul ®-75, 29. Eddie Tafoya Jr.-68, 30. Stevie Sussex-63, 31. Nate Shank-58, 32. Cal Smith-53, 33. Dan Taylor-47, 34. Kyle Edwards-47, 35. Trent Williams-44, ---. James Herrera-44, 37. Tyler Hatzikian-42, 38. Jeff Dyer-40, 39. Travis Buckley-36, 40. Kaleb Montgomery-32, 41. James Heling-31, 42. Tom Hendricks-28, 43. Shane Sexton-20.
2021 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE:
March 12: The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park– Bakersfield, CA (Winner: Ryan Timmons)
March 13: The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park – Bakersfield, CA (Winner: Max Adams)
March 26: Thunderbowl Raceway – Tulare, CA (Winner: Max Adams)
April 24: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Damion Gardner)
May 1: Ventura Raceway – Ventura, CA (CANCELLED)
May 8: Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, CA (Winner: Chase Johnson)
May 22: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Salute to Indy)
June 19: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
July 3: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA (Doug Fort Memorial)
July 16: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Summer Campfest)
July 17: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Summer Campfest)
August 14: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA (Bud Stanfield Memorial)
August 21: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (California Racers Hall of Fame Night)
September 4: Silver Dollar Speedway – Chico, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
September 5: Silver Dollar Speedway – Chico, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
September 6: Petaluma Speedway – Petaluma, CA
September 25: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Glenn Howard Classic)
October 2: Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Hall of Fame Classic)
October 23: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
November 4: *Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Oval Nationals)
November 5: *Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Oval Nationals)
November 6: *Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Oval Nationals)
November 12: *Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)
November 13: *Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)
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* = Co-Sanctioned Event with AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Cars.
This schedule is subject to change.
