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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series
#50 Mike Spencer. Photo by Doug Allen.
MIKE SPENCER WINS PERRIS "FIRECRACKER 30"
By Lance Jennings
PERRIS, CA – JULY 5, 2012… Temecula's Mike Spencer continued his march to another Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car title by winning the "Firecracker 30" at Perris Auto Speedway. The 4-time series champion passed Cory Kruseman on lap eleven and held off a hard charging Nic Faas to claim the $2500 Independence Day Classic. Rounding out the top-5 drivers were Faas, Brody Roa, Ryan Bernal, and Austin Williams.
For Spencer, the rare Wednesday night showcase was his fifth triumph of the season. Driving Ron Chaffin's famed #50 Madera Produce / Grubstake Mini Storage Maxim, the night's Sander Engineering / Rod End Supply Fast Time Qualifier started eighth in the 30-lap feature. While "The Ripper" Rip Williams challenged Kruseman for the early lead, Spencer was moving to the front. Action was briefly halted on lap eight for a flip by Cody Williams, who walked away uninjured. The point leader had already made his way to fourth, trailing Kruseman, Williams, and Bernal. A couple of laps later, Mike was challenging "The Ripper" for second and quickly set after Kruseman. Making a bold, outside pass for the lead, Spencer began to run away from the field and slice through the slower traffic.
After having engine problems in time trials, Nic Faas of Huntington Beach switched to Mark Alexander's backup #4 Scott Sales Company / Competition Suspension Inc. Spike. Starting twenty-second in the main event, Faas made some daring moves and charged through the field. By the midway point, Nic had secured second and gave chase after Spencer. Nearly a half track behind and working through slower traffic, Faas managed to close the gap and pull up to the leader's rear bumper. Faas shot for the lead on the last lap, but those efforts were erased by a yellow flag for a stalled Rip Williams. Reverting back to the previous lap and a single file lineup, Spencer had an excellent restart and led the rest of the way to claim the win. Faas earned the night's Ringer's Gloves / Keizer Wheels "Hard Charger / Best Passing Job" honors with a second place run after starting last.
Buena Park's Brody Roa scored third in the "Firecracker 30" after starting ninth. Driving the BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Burris Racing Spike, the night's LRB Inc. Race Products Award winner had a torrid late race battle with Bernal and Kruseman to claim third. Earlier in the program, Roa was seventh quick in time trials, fifth in his heat race, and won the 12-lap Competition Suspension Inc. / Diversified Machine Inc. Semi-Main. The June 2nd Yuma winner is currently sixth in the point chase.
Hollister's Ryan Bernal claimed fourth in the Perris 30-lap feature after starting sixth. Piloting Keith Ford's #73 King Racing Products / A&A Precision Machine Spike, the Santa Maria track champion raced to third during the early stages and battled hard with the front runners. Bernal was fourth quick on the night, placed second in his heat race, and is currently fifth in the championship points.
Austin Williams of Yorba Linda had a fifth place run in the main event after starting fifteenth. Driving Jack Jory's #2 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams was caught in an early tangle and restarted at the back. Making a late race surge, the 2009 Rookie of the Year raced hard and made some moves to claim fifth. Austin was eighteenth fast in time trials, won the Saldana Racing Products / Circle Track Performance Heat Race #2, and sits third in USAC/CRA standings.
Riverside's "Dynamite" David Cardey won his second heat race of the campaign by taking the Extreme Mufflers sponsored event. Making his debut in new Tom and Laurie Sertich owned #92 Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror / Victory Race Cars entry, Cardey ran fourteenth in the "Firecracker 30." The former California Lightning Sprint Champion qualified thirteenth at Perris and the new team will look to USAC/CRA's return to their "home track" on July 28th.
"The Ripper" Rip Williams of Yorba Linda won the night's 10-lap DJ Safety Heat Race #3. Piloting Jack Jory's #3 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, the 2004 series champion battled with Kruseman for the early lead and continued to run in the top five. Scoring sixteenth after a late exit, the night's eleventh fast qualifier is currently eighth in the point standings.
Yorba Linda's "The Cadillac" Cody Williams won the SBI Fuel Systems / Integra Racing Shocks Heat Race #4. Driving Jack Jory's #44 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, the former National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Rookie of the Year scored twentieth after an early flip ended his night. Qualifying twelfth in the program, Williams sits tenth in the USAC/CRA point chase.
The Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will return to action on Saturday, July 28th, at Don Kazarian's Perris Auto Speedway. The "California Racers Hall of Fame Night" will also feature the PAS 360 Senior Sprint Cars and California Lightning Sprints. Located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds, more event information can be found at www.perrisautospeedway.com or calling (951) 940-0134.
To catch all of the action of the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series at Perris Auto Speedway, Mike Truex's Loudpedal Productions has DVD videos available for purchase. For more information, call (805) 407-7229 or visit www.loudpedalvideo.com. In addition, Perris Auto Speedway offers a pay per view feed of every event at www.circletracknetwork.com.
The Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series would like to thank Hoosier Tire, Circle Track Performance, Competition Suspension Inc., DJ Safety, Diversified Machine Inc., Extreme Mufflers, Hilborn Fuel Injection, Integra Racing Shocks, Keizer Wheels, LRB Inc. Race Products, Ringers Gloves, Rod End Supply, SBI Fuel Systems, Saldana Racing Products, and Sander Engineering for their support.
For more information on the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series, visit www.usacracing.com/cra or follow the series on Facebook (www.facebook.com/pages/USAC-CRA-Sprint-Car-Series/167535183297971) or Twitter (www.twitter.com/#!/USAC_CRA).
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AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT RACE RESULTS:
July 4, 2012 – Perris, California – Perris Auto Speedway - "Firecracker 30"
SANDER ENGINEERING / ROD END SUPPLY TIME TRIALS:
1. Mike Spencer, 50, Chaffin-16.237; 2. Rickie Gaunt, 66, Miller-16.521; 3. Troy Rutherford, 42, Cheney-16.647; 4. Ryan Bernal, 73, Ford-16.719; 5. Nic Faas, 4, Alexander-16.724; 6. Matt Mitchell, 37, Mitchell-16.730; 7. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-16.747; 8. Seth Wilson, 1X, Wilson-16.762; 9. R.J. Johnson, 51, Martin-16.773; 10. Cory Kruseman, 7, Priestley-16.829; 11. Rip Williams, 3, Jory-16.910; 12. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-16.942; 13. David Cardey, 92, Sertich-16.964; 14. Greg Alexander, 72, Tyler-16.985; 15. Ronnie Gardner, 18, Kittle-17.001; 16. J.J. Ercse, 36, Springstead-17.169; 17. A.J. Bender, 11, Bender-17.257; 18. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-17.468; 19. David Bezio, 37X, Bezio-17.488; 20. Corey Ballard, 20, Ballard-17.557; 21. Kenny Perkins, 0K, Perkins-17.700; 22. Bobby Bender, 12, Bender-17.805; 23. Adam Frith-Smith, 62A, Frith-Smith-17.965; 24. Cal Smith, 39, Cal Sun-18.142; 25. Patrick Clark, 71K, Kruseman-18.352; 26. Gary Potter, 6, Potter-18.619; 27. Jerry Welton, 62, Welton-18.673; 28. Jon Kairot, 0, Perkins-18.670.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE 1: (10 laps)
1. David Cardey, 2. Mike Spencer, 3. R.J. Johnson, 4. Nic Faas, 5. Kenny Perkins, 6. Patrick Clark, 7. A.J. Bender. NT
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE HEAT RACE 2: (10 laps)
1. Austin Williams, 2. Greg Alexander, 3. Matt Mitchell, 4. Cory Kruseman, 5. Bobby Bender, 6. Gary Potter, 7. Rickie Gaunt. NT
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE 3: (10 laps)
1. Rip Williams, 2. David Bezio, 3. Troy Rutherford, 4. Ronnie Gardner, 5. Brody Roa, 6. Adam Frith-Smith, 7. Jerry Welton. NT
SBI FUEL SYSTEMS / INTEGRA RACING SHOCKS HEAT RACE 4: (10 laps)
1. Cody Williams, 2. Ryan Bernal, 3. Seth Wilson, 4. Corey Ballard, 5. Cal Smith, 6. Jon Kairot, 7. J.J. Ercse. NT
COMPETITION SUSPENSION INC. / DIVERSIFIED MACHINE INC. SEMI-MAIN: (12 laps)
1. Brody Roa, 2. Kenny Perkins, 3. J.J. Ercse, 4. Bobby Bender, 5. Patrick Clark, 6. Jon Kairot, 7. Rickie Gaunt, 8. Gary Potter, 9. Adam Frith-Smith, 10. Cal Smith. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps - With Starting Positions)
1. Mike Spencer (8th), 2. Nic Faas (22nd), 3. Brody Roa (9th), 4. Ryan Bernal (6th), 5. Austin Williams (15th), 6. Matt Mitchell (5th), 7. Cory Kruseman (2nd), 8. Ronnie Gardner (13th), 9. R.J. Johnson (3rd), 10. David Bezio (16th), 11. Greg Alexander (12th), 12. Corey Ballard (17th), 13. Bobby Bender (19th), 14. David Cardey (11th), 15. Patrick Clark (20th), 16. Rip Williams (1st), 17. Troy Rutherford (7th), 18. Kenny Perkins (18th), 19. Seth Wilson (4th), 20. Cody Williams (10th), 21. J.J. Ercse (14th), 22. Jon Kairot (21st). NT
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**Cody Williams and Corey Ballard flipped during the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-10 Cory Kruseman, Laps 11-30 Mike Spencer.
RINGERS GLOVES / KEIZER WHEELS HARD CHARGER: Nic Faas (22nd to 2nd)
LRB INC. RACE PRODUCTS AWARD: Brody Roa
NEW AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT POINTS:
1-Mike Spencer-609, 2-Nic Faas-535, 3-Austin Williams-480, 4-Matt Mitchell-461, 5-Ryan Bernal-458, 6-Brody Roa-419, 7-Cory Kruseman-375, 8-Rip Williams-375, 9-Seth Wilson-313, 10-Cody Williams-308.
2012 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
July 28: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (California Racers Hall of Fame Night)
August 10: **Ocean Speedway - Watsonville, CA
August 11: **Santa Maria Speedway - Santa Maria, CA
August 18: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA
August 19: Route 66 Motorplex - Victorville, CA
September 1: **Calistoga Speedway - Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
September 2: **Calistoga Speedway - Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic)
September 5: **Silver Dollar Speedway - Chico, CA (Non-Points)
September 15: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA
October 6: Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Southern California Fair)
October 26: *Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Hall of Fame Classic)
October 27: *Canyon Speedway Park - Peoria, AZ (Hall of Fame Classic)
November 2: *Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Budweiser Oval Nationals)
November 3: *Perris Auto Speedway - Perris, CA (Budweiser Oval Nationals)
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* = Co-Sanctioned Event With USAC National Sprints.
** = Co-Sanctioned Event With USAC Western Classic Racing Series.
This schedule is subject to change.
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