USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS HEADLINE PERRIS 40-LAP “BUBBY JONES & RAY SCHEETZ MEMORIAL”
By Lance Jennings
JUNE 6, 2023... This Saturday, June 10th, the battle for the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Championship will resume at Perris Auto Speedway. Promoted by Don Kazarian, the second annual “Bubby Jones and Ray Scheetz Memorial” will showcase a special 40-lap main event paying $3,000-to-win and $400-to-start. The fourth of eight “home track” appearances presented by Heimark Distributors / Anheuser Busch will also feature the PAS Senior Sprint Cars and PAS Young Gun Sprint Cars plus “Power of Purple Night” benefiting the American Cancer Society Relay For Life Riverside County East. Located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in Perris, California, the Spectator Gates will open at 5:00pm and racing at "America's Premier Dirt Track" will start at 7:00pm. For more event information, visit the track’s website at perrisautospeedway.com or call 951.940.0134.
Race fans are encouraged to support the race track and watch the races in person. Events at Perris Auto Speedway WILL NOT be live streamed on FloRacing in 2023.
NOTICE TO RACERS:
- 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 julietanaka@aol.com.)
- 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.
- ENTRY FEE: There is an entry fee due at registration / pill pick.
- TRANSPONDERS: Transponders ARE MANDATORY and will be available to rent.
- ONE WAY RADIOS / RACECEIVERS: One way radios ARE MANDATORY.
- FRONT AXLE TETHER SYSTEMS: Front axle tether systems (2-Chassis, 1-King Pin to King Pin) ARE MANDATORY.
- FULL CONTAINMENT SEATS: Full containment seats ARE MANDATORY.
- COCKPIT ADJUSTABLE SHOCKS: Cockpit adjustable shocks ARE ALLOWED.
Since March 6, 2004, the Lake Perris Fairgrounds has held 245 AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car events and forty-three different drivers have claimed victory. “The Demon” Damion Gardner leads all drivers with 51 “home track” wins and this year’s races have been claimed by Justin Grant, Matt Mitchell, and “Thunder” Tommy Malcolm. Nic Faas set the 1-lap track record of 15.833 on February 25, 2012 and the complete Perris USAC/CRA win list is at the end of this release.
Saturday’s event honors the memory of Bubby Jones and Ray Scheetz. Bubby was one of the original outlaw sprint car drivers from the Midwest who traveled in search of high paying races. By the time Bubby moved to California in 1980, he was already a top driver in USAC, competed in the 1977 Indianapolis 500, and won many prestigious races like the Western World Championships and Turkey Night Grand Prix. Piloting the famed Kazarian owned Gas Chem Products entry, Jones earned the 1983 and 1984 CRA Championships and also built his own “BJ” chassis. Also driving for Kathy Lewis, Alex Morales, Bruce Bromme, and Larry Henry, Bubby had won 82 races with CRA before his retirement in the early 1990s. Ray was a top notch mechanic and crew chief on the west coast. Working with the Morales, Gas Chem, Billy Wilkerson, and other teams, Ray is perhaps best known for winning races with Rick Goudy, Bubby Jones, and Ron Shuman. When Perris Auto Speedway was built in 1996, both Jones and Scheetz played key roles in the development of the 1/2-mile oval.
Heading to Saturday’s show, “The Pride of Garden Grove” Brody Roa (Garden Grove, California) sits atop the standings and has a 99 point lead over the competition. Driving the Tom & Christy Dunkel / BR Performance owned #17R Inland Rigging / Dunkel Farms DRC, Roa led ten laps of the May 27th “Salute to Indy” before scoring fifteenth at Perris Auto Speedway. To date, the 2019 USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Champion has five feature wins, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, four heat race victories, one In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, nine top-10 finishes, and 113 feature laps led to his credit. With eighteen career wins, Brody will be looking to add another “Bubby Jones and Ray Scheetz Memorial” victory to his win list.
Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm (Corona, California) is second in the point chase and the hottest driver on the circuit. Racing Dino Napier’s #5X Indiana Truck Salvage / B&B Powder Coating Maxim, Malcolm topped the Perris “Salute to Indy” for his second consecutive triumph. At press time, the veteran driver also has three heat race victories, one Wilwood Disc Brakes Lucky 13 Award, one In Memory of Jim & Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, eight top-10 finishes, and 57 feature laps led on the year. Tommy “Thunder” will have his sights on winning Saturday’s 40-lap feature at Perris Auto Speedway.
The Cadillac” Cody Williams (Corona, California) ranks third in the chase for the championship. Piloting his #44 WC Friend Company / Trench Shoring DRC, Williams placed fourteenth in the May 27th main event. To date, the former National Non-Wing Sprint Car Rookie of the Year has five Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, two heat race victories, and seven top-10 finishes on the season. “The Cadillac” has three career wins and will be looking claim the $3,000 victory this Saturday night.
“The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams (Yorba Linda, California) is fourth in the USAC/CRA championship standings. Driving the family owned #2 Digalert / Ramona Duck Club DRC, Williams ran second to Tommy Malcolm at the “Salute to Indy.” At press time, the 2009 Co-Rookie of the Year has one heat race victory, one In Memory of Jim & Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, eight top-10 finishes, and 21 feature laps led to his credit. With eleven career wins, Austin will have his sights on claiming the “Bubby Jones and Ray Scheetz Memorial.”
After running fourth in the “Salute to Indy,” A.J. Bender (San Diego, California) has climbed to fifth in the USAC/CRA championship trail. Racing the family owned #21 Bender Pool & Spa / GAS Chassis entry, Bender has posted four heat race victories, one In Memory of Jim & Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, and seven top-10 finishes in the campaign. Last season’s USAC Western States Midget Rookie of the Year will be looking to earn the first USAC/CRA win of his career on Saturday.
Grant Sexton (Lakeside, California) leads the chase for Rookie of the Year honors and ranks ninth in the point standings. The driver of the family owned #22 Sexton Fire Protection / East County Electric Works Triple X is followed by James Turnbull II (Indio, California), Brody Fuson (Bakersfield, California), Jake Andreotti (Castro Valley, California), Dawson Faria (Tipton, California), Jim Vanzant (Prescott, Arizona), and Braden Chiaramonte (El Cajon, California).
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are Logan Calderwood, Verne Sweeney, Andrew Sweeney, Brent Owens, James Herrera, Logan Williams, Matt McCarthy, Chris Gansen, Jeff Dyer, Gary Marshall Jr., Tony Everhart and more.
Perris Auto Speedway is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in Perris, California. Adult tickets are $30, Senior tickets (65 & over) are $25, Kids tickets (6 to 12) are $5, and Children (5 and under) are FREE. The Fairgrounds charges $10 for parking. Advance tickets are available and 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 BillsJerky.net, Factory Wraps, Flowdynamics Incorporated, The Gardner Family (In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner), Hoosier Racing Tires, WC Friend Company, Woodland Auto Display, BR Motorsports, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, and Wilwood Disc Brakes for their support. If you or your company would like to become part of the series, contact Tony Jones at tonyjonesracing@gmail.com or PR Director Lance Jennings at lwjennings@earthlink.net.
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.
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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, 2021-Damion Gardner, 2022-Damion Gardner.
"BUBBY JONES & RAY SCHEETZ MEMORIAL" WINNERS: 2022-Brody Roa.
2023 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 5-Brody Roa, 2-Tommy Malcolm, 1-Justin Grant, 1-Chase Johnson, 1-Matt Mitchell.
PERRIS AMSOIL USAC/CRA 1-LAP QUALIFYING RECORD: Nic Faas – 15.833 (02/25/12)
PERRIS AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 51-Damion Gardner, 24-Mike Spencer, 19-Tony Jones, 17-Cory Kruseman, 9-Nic Faas, 8-David Cardey, 8-Matt Mitchell, 8-Richard Vander Weerd, 7-Rip Williams, 6-Bryan Clauson, 6-Justin Grant, 6-Mike Kirby, 6-Danny Sheridan, 6-Austin Williams, 5-Brady Bacon, 5-Robert Ballou, 5-Rickie Gaunt, 5-Brody Roa, 4-Dave Darland, 4-R.J. Johnson, 3-Charles Davis Jr., 3-Garrett Hansen, 3-Kevin Thomas Jr., 2-Darren Hagen, 2-Jesse Hockett, 2-Levi Jones, 2-Blake Miller, 2-Jake Swanson, 2-Chris Windom, 1-Chad Boespflug, 1-Greg Bragg, 1-Daron Clayton, 1-Josh Ford, 1-Josh Hodges, 1-Bud Kaeding, 1-C.J. Leary, 1-Tommy Malcolm, 1-Adam Mitchell, 1-Johnny Rodriguez, 1-Hunter Schuerenberg, 1-Chase Stockon, 1-Scotty Weir, 1-Cody Williams, 1-Jason York.
2023 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1-Brody Roa-747, 2-Tommy Malcolm-648, 3-Cody Williams-608, 4-Austin Williams-606, 5-A.J. Bender-502, 6-Logan Calderwood-482, 7-Charles Davis Jr.-460, 8-Grant Sexton-367, 9-R.J. Johnson-324, 10-Verne Sweeney-277.
2023 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
January 27: Cocopah Speedway – Yuma, AZ (Winner: Brody Roa)
January 28: Cocopah Speedway – Yuma, AZ (Winner: Brody Roa)
March 3: Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ (RAIN)
March 4: Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ (RAIN)
March 18: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Justin Grant)
March 24: Keller Auto Speedway – Hanford, CA (RAIN)
March 25: Thunderbowl Raceway – Tulare, CA (RAIN)
April 1: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ (Winner: Chase Johnson)
April 15: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Matt Mitchell)
April 22: Keller Auto Speedway – Hanford, CA (Winner: Brody Roa)
April 29: The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park – Bakersfield, CA (Winner: Brody Roa)
May 6: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ (Winner: Brody Roa)
May 20: Thunderbowl Raceway – Tulare, CA (Winner: Tommy Malcolm)
May 27: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Tommy Malcolm)
June 10: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Bubby Jones & Ray Sheetz Memorial / 40 Laps)
June 24: Bakersfield Speedway – Bakersfield, CA (Richie McGowan Memorial)
July 1: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA
July 15: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
August 12: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA
August 19: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
September 9: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA
September 23: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Glenn Howard Classic)
October 14: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ
November 3: Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ (Western World Championships)
November 4: Central Arizona Raceway – Casa Grande, AZ (Western World Championships)
November 11: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (40 Laps)
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TBA = To Be Announced.
This schedule is subject to change.
