FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series
#7 "Bullet" Blake Miller. Photo by Doug Allen Photos.
USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS MAKE VICTORVILLE DEBUT THIS SATURDAY
By Lance Jennings
SANTA MARIA, CA – MARCH 23, 2011… This Saturday, March 26th, the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will make their series debut at Steve Querico's Victorville Raceway Park. Joining the traditional USAC 410s will be the 360 Senior Sprints and the "Raging Inferno" Jet Fire Show. The pit gates will open at 1:00pm and spectator gates will open at 4:30pm. Racing at the "Place to Race" will begin at 6:00pm and for more event information, please visit www.victorvilleracewaypark.com.
Temecula's Mike Spencer leads the point standings with the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series. At Perris' "Sokola Shootout" on March 12th, the three time defending champion was third quick in time trials, won the DJ Safety Heat Race #3, and claimed the 30-lap feature with a last corner pass. Driving Ron Chaffin's potent #50 Madera Produce / Circle C Marketing Maxim, Spencer will be one of the drivers to watch as he holds a ten point advantage heading into Saturday's action.
Piloting Dwight Cheney's #42 Pace Lighting / Sander Engineering Eagle, Concord's "The Demon" Damion Gardner is second in the point chase. At Perris, the USAC National Sprint Car Point Leader was eighth fast in qualifying, fourth in his heat race, and took the lead from "Bullet" Blake Miller on lap seven. The 2005 USAC/CRA Champion was looking to add another win to his credit until Mike Spencer took the victory with a last corner pass. Gardner is always a threat to score the feature victory.
Sitting third in the point standings is Yorba Linda's Matt Mitchell. Driving the J.W. Mitchell Motorsports #37 Maxim, backed by Mancha Realtors and Sierra Springs, Mitchell was seventh quick in time trials, fourth in his heat race, and third in the Perris feature. The USAC Western Midget Series graduate fell back to fifth in the main event, but rebounded to challenge the lead duo of Gardner and Spencer for the victory. Look for Mitchell to make a charge for the Victorville win on Saturday.
Nic Faas of Huntington Beach is fourth in the championship point chase. Making his debut in Mark Alexander's #4 Scott Sales Company / VP Racing Fuels Spike, Faas was sixth fast in qualifying, won the Saldana Racing Products / Circle Track Performance Heat Race #2, and fifth in the "Sokola Shootout." The former USAC Western Midget Series Champion will be looking to claim the feature win at Victorville.
"The Bullet" Blake Miller of Yorba Linda is fifth in the points battle. Driving Mark Priestley's #7 Roy Miller Freightlines / Sander Engineering Maxim, Miller was ninth quick in time trials, fourth in his heat race, and settled for fifth in the main event. Leading the first six laps before falling to Gardner, "The Bullet" battled tough with the front runners and will look to take the 30-lap Victorville feature win on Saturday.
Among the other top contenders expected to be in action are "Dynamite" David Cardey of Riverside, Santa Maria's "Showtime" Danny Sheridan, Yorba Linda's Austin, Cody, and "The Ripper" Rip Williams, Visalia's Greg Bragg, "Super" Rickie Gaunt of Torrance, and many more.
Local 360 iron-block powered Sprint Cars are welcome to race with USAC/CRA. The 360s can run their local approved tires, but must meet series tech standards and race track muffler rules. The Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series does not have an entry fee, but drivers must have one-way radios.
Victorville Raceway Park is located on the San Bernardino Fairgrounds in Victorville, California. Advance tickets and information can be found online at www.victorvilleracewaypark.com. Adult General Admission tickets are $17, Kids tickets (5-12) are $8, and Children 5 and under are FREE. Race Day Tickets at the front gate will be $20 for Adults, Kids tickets (5-12) are $8, and Children 5 and under are FREE.
The Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series would like to thank Hoosier Tire, Circle Track Performance, Competition Suspension Inc., DJ Safety, Donovan Engineering, Electro Tech Powder Coating, Extreme Mufflers, Hilborn Fuel Injection, Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror, Saldana Racing Products, and Sander Engineering for their support. For more information, visit usacracing.com or follow the series on facebook.
NOTICE TO RACERS: The pit gate will open for competitors at 1:00pm. Pit passes for USAC members will be $40 and $50 for non-members. Each pit pass will include a FREE meal at the Racer Hospitality Concessions. Racers will have a choice of a hot dog or pizza, chips, drink, and desert (candy or pie). So-Cal Performance will be on hand with tires and parts, and fuel will be available at the race track. USAC/CRA is mandating a 95db at 100 feet muffler rule and the full USAC/CRA purse is in effect.
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USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR DRIVER POINT STANDINGS:
1. Mike Spencer 72; 2. Damion Gardner 62; 3. Matt Mitchell 59; 4. Nic Faas 57; 5. Blake Miller 56; 6. David Cardey 53; 7. Danny Sheridan 52; 8. Austin Williams 45; 9. Greg Bragg 43; 10. Greg Alexander 41; 11. Cody Williams 40; 12. Jace VanderWeerd 36; 13. Seth Wilson 34; 14. Richard VanderWeerd 33; 15. David Bezio 30; 16. Stevie Sussex 24; 17. Cal Smith 22; 18. Rodney Argo 21; 19. Rickie Gaunt 19; 20. Gavin Matlock 18.
NEXT USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACE:
March 26 - Victorville Raceway Park - Victorville, California
