AUGUST 27, 2024... The Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Cars will resume their chase for the championship this Saturday, August 31st, at The Dirt Track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway. Also featuring Mini Stocks, the “Bob Vermeer and Narcie Ferreira Classic” is the second of three appearances for the non-winged USAC/CRA sprints at the fast 1/3-mile oval. Located at 13500 Raceway Boulevard in Bakersfield, California, the Spectator Gates will open at 5:00pm, Hot Laps are scheduled for 5:30pm, followed by Time Trials, with Racing scheduled at 7:00pm. For more event information and advance tickets, visit the track’s website at kernraceway.com or call 661.835.1264.
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.)
- MUFFLERS: Mufflers ARE NOT REQUIRED at The Dirt Track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway.
- 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.
- RULE BOOK: The series rule book is online at usacracing.com, appendix E.
- TIRES & FUEL: Tires and fuel will be available at the track on race day. It is recommended that teams pre-order tires through Hoosier Tire West at 559-485-4612.
On August 17th at Perris Auto Speedway, “The Cadillac” Cody Williams won a hard fought “Brother Brett Classic” to become the ninth winner of the season over A.J. Bender, Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr., and R.J. Johnson.
This Saturday’s event at The Dirt Track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway honors Bob Vermeer and Narcie Ferreira. Vermeer was a car owner with the original California Racing Association and fielded entries most notably for Tony “The Tiger” Simon and “The Ripper” Rip Williams. Ferreira was a longtime supporter, sponsor, and car owner when he partnered with Johnny Vermeer in the early days of USAC/CRA.
Since March 12, 2021, The Dirt Track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway has held four USAC/CRA Sprint Car events and four different drivers have claimed victory. R.J. Johnson won the “Golden Empire Clash” on June 8th and 10-time series champion, “The Demon” Damion Gardner set the 1-lap track record of 14.106 at the Kern debut. The complete USAC/CRA win list at Kern is at the end of this release.
Heading to the thirteenth point race, Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm (Yucaipa, California) holds a slim 8-point lead over the competition. Racing Dino Napier’s #5X Indiana Truck Salvage / B&B Powder Coating DRC, Malcolm charged from eighth to third at Perris on August 17th. To date, Tommy “Thunder” has three feature wins, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, four heat race victories, one In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, eleven top-10 finishes, and 80 feature laps led in the campaign. Tommy is tied with “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr., Levi Jones, Bud Kaeding, “Bullet” Blake Miller, and Jake Swanson with six triumphs and will be looking to continue his title run by adding the “Bob Vermeer and Narcie Ferreira Classic” to his resume.
R.J. Johnson (Laveen, Arizona) is ranked second in the championship point standings. Driving Ricky and Michele Johnson’s #51 JUGO Superfoods / Avanti Windows & Doors Sherman, Johnson won the special “Brother Brett Trophy Dash” at Perris on August 17th before scoring fifth in the main event. At press time, the multi-time Arizona Sprint Car Champion and 2005 Rookie of the Year has one feature win, two Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, one semi-main win, eleven top-10 finishes, and 23 feature laps led on the season. R.J. is currently tied with “The People’s Champion” Dave Darland, “Super” Rickie Gaunt, Justin Grant, and “Showtime” Danny Sheridan with eight feature wins and will have his sights on another win at The Dirt Track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway.
After running second in the Perris “Brother Brett Classic,” A.J. Bender (San Diego, California) has climbed to third in the USAC/CRA point chase. Driving the family owned #21 Bender Pool & Spa / Matrix Construction Services DRC, Bender has one feature win, four heat race victories, eight top-10 finishes, and 44 feature laps led in the campaign. The former 360 Sprint Car Turkey Night Grand Prix Winner will be looking for the second USAC/CRA win of his career this Saturday night.
Logan Williams (Yorba Linda, California) sits fourth in the championship chase. Piloting John McCarthy’s #5W Flowdynamics Incorporated / Drinkpak DRC, Williams finished sixth in the August 17th race at Perris Auto Speedway. To date, the 2014 Rookie of the Year has one heat race victory, one In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, ten top-10 finishes, and 21 feature laps led to his credit. Logan will have his sights on earning the first USAC/CRA victory of his career at The Dirt Track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway.
“The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams (Corona, California) is fifth in the chase for the championship. Racing Tom & Christy Dunkel’s #17W Inland Rigging / Dunkel Farms DRC, Williams raced from eleventh to seventh in the “Brother Brett Classic.” At press time, the 2009 Co-Rookie of the Year has four heat race victories, one In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award, eight top-10 finishes, and 11 feature laps led on the year. “The Big Game Hunter” is tied with Matt Mitchell with eleven series wins and will be looking for his first victory of the year on Saturday.
Driving the Kittle Motorsports / Gasper Racing #18 DRC backed by Art Klee and Martin Roofing, David Gasper (Goleta, California) leads the chase for Rookie of the Year honors. Elexa Herrera, Brent Sexton, Braden Chiaramonte, Blake Bower, Jon DeWees, Joey Bishop, Mark Henry, Camie Bell, Tyler Hatzikian, Heath Holdsclaw, Blake Hendricks, Tom Dunkel, and Aaron Altaffer are also in contention.
Among the other drivers expected to be in action are “The Cadillac” Cody Williams, Verne Sweeney, Eddie Tafoya Jr., “The Gunslinger” Austin Grabowski, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr., “The Pride of Garden Grove” Brody Roa, Grant Sexton, Chris Gansen, “Flash” Jordan Hermansader, Tanner Boul, Chris Ennis, and more.
The Dirt Track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway is located at 13500 Raceway Boulevard in Bakersfield, California. To get to the speedway, take Interstate-5 and exit at Enos Lane (CA 43, Exit 246) and drive to Raceway Blvd. The track is on the west side of the interstate. Adult tickets are $25, Kids Tickets (6-12) are $10, and Children (5& Under) are FREE. For more event information and advance tickets, visit kernraceway.com or call 661.835.1264.
The Avanti Windows & Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series thanks BillsJerky.net, Factory Wraps, Flowdynamics Incorporated, The Gardner Family (In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner), In Memory of Wiley Miller Sr. and Wiley Miller Jr., Sexton Fire Protection, WC Friend Company, and Woodland Auto Display, for their support.
For more information on the Avanti Windows & Doors 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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AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS 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, 2023-Brody Roa.
2024 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Tommy Malcolm-789, 2. R.J. Johnson-781, 3. A.J. Bender-721, 4. Logan Williams-713, 5. Austin Williams-704, 6. Cody Williams-700, 7. David Gasper (R)-639, 8. Verne Sweeney-511, 9. Eddie Tafoya Jr.-500, 10. Austin Grabowski-467, 11. Charles Davis Jr.-424, 12. Elexa Herrera (R)-384, 13. Brent Sexton (R)-338, 14. Brody Roa-307, 15. Grant Sexton-286, 16. Matt Mitchell-281, 17. Matt McCarthy-254, 18. Ricky Lewis-233, 19. Jeff Dyer-230, 20. Logan Calderwood-203. The complete point standings can be found at usacracing.com.
2024 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 3-Tommy Malcolm, 2-Matt Mitchell, 1-A.J. Bender, 1-Braden Chiaramonte, 1-Charles Davis Jr., 1-David Gasper, 1-R.J. Johnson, 1-Kevin Thomas Jr., 1-Cody Williams
KERN AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA 1-LAP QUALIFYING RECORD: Damion Gardner – 14.016 (03/12/21)
KERN AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR WINS: 1-Max Adams, 1-R.J. Johnson, 1-Brody Roa, 1-Ryan Timmons.
2024 AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
February 24: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Matt Mitchell)
March 16: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: David Gasper)
March 23: Cocopah Speedway – Somerton, AZ (Winner: Charles Davis Jr.)
April 6: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ (Winner: Kevin Thomas Jr.)
April 27: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: A.J. Bender)
May 25: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Matt Mitchell)
June 8: Dirt Track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway – Bakersfield, CA (Winner: R.J. Johnson)
June 22: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Tommy Malcolm)
July 6: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA (Winner: Tommy Malcolm)
July 13: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Tommy Malcolm)
August 10: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA (Winner: Braden Chiaramonte)
August 17: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Cody Williams)
August 31: Dirt Track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway – Bakersfield, CA
September 7: Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, CA
September 21: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
September 28: Dirt Track at Kevin Harvick’s Kern Raceway – Bakersfield, CA
October 12: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ
October 18: Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, CA
October 19: Imperial Valley Raceway – Imperial, CA
November 1: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)
November 2: Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)
November 8: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Oval Nationals)
November 9: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Oval Nationals)
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TBA = To Be Announced.
This schedule is subject to change.
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