|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series
#18 Danny Sheridan. Photo by Lance Jennings.
DANNY SHERIDAN SURGES TO WIN SANTA MARIA THRILLER
By Lance Jennings
SANTA MARIA, CA – AUGUST 13, 2012… After winning the previous night at Watsonville, Amsoil USAC/CRA point leader Mike Spencer looked to sweep the co-sanctioned weekend with the USAC Western Classic Series. It was not to be as "Showtime" Danny Sheridan surged past the Amsoil USAC/CRA point leader to claim the $2,500 victory in front of his hometown fans. The last laps of the feature were noted by many observers as one of the most dramatic finishes in Santa Maria Speedway history. Following Sheridan across the finish line were Spencer, "The Ripper" Rip Williams, Jace Vander Weerd, and Nic Faas.
After coming close many times, Danny Sheridan won his first USAC/CRA Sprint Car main event at Santa Maria. Piloting the Kittle Motorsports' #18 Pace Lighting / PJ1 Lubricants Sherman, Danny was fourth quick in time trials and placed second in his heat race. Starting seventh in the feature, "Showtime" preferred the outside line to make his charge to the front. Taking command from early leader Jace Vander Weerd on lap seven, Sheridan set a torrid pace until Spencer slipped past on lap twenty-three.
Skillfully working through lapped traffic, Spencer began to stretch his lead. Once cleared of traffic himself, Sheridan gave chase after Mike and quickly erased the advantage. Still running the outside line, "Showtime" applied pressure and managed to pull alongside Spencer at the white flag. Sweeping through turn one, Danny grabbed the lead and shot down the back straight. Mike drove hard into turn three, finding extra traction on the bottom and taking the lead coming out of the fourth corner. With the checkered flag waving, Spencer momentarily bobbled and Sheridan used the extra momentum to take the popular hometown win. In victory lane, Sheridan dedicated the win to longtime sponsor Pat Kehoe of Pace Electronics, who recently passed away.
Piloting Ron Chaffin's famed #50 Madera Produce / Grubstake Mini Storage Maxim, Mike Spencer of Temecula earned his seventh Sander Engineering / Rod End Supply Fast Time Award of the Year. Scoring fifth in his heat race, the 4-time champion just fell short of claiming his eighth win of the campaign. To date, Spencer has two heat race victories, one Keizer Wheels / Ringers Gloves Hard Charger Award, twelve top-5 finishes, 139 feature laps led, and holds a 120 point advantage heading to the Perris-Victorville "Freeway Series."
Yorba Linda's "The Ripper" Rip Williams scored third in the Santa Maria 30-lap feature after starting sixth. Driving Jack Jory's #3 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams won the night's LRB Inc. Race Products Award, qualified sixth and placed fourth in his heat race. Currently fifth in points, the 2004 champion has one Sander Engineering / Rod End Supply Fast Time Award, two heat race victories, one Competition Suspension Inc. / Diversified Machine Inc. Semi-Main win, one feature lap led, and four top-5 finishes.
Jace Vander Weerd of Visalia scored fourth after leading the first six laps of the main event. Piloting the family owned #88 Vander Weerd Construction / Mid Valley Pipe & Supply Maxim, Jace was sixteenth fast and won the Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Running fourteenth in points, Vander Weerd has one Keizer Wheels / Ringers Gloves Hard Charger Award on the season.
Nic Faas of Huntington Beach placed fifth at Santa Maria. Driving Mark Alexander's #4 Scott Sales Company / Competition Suspension Inc. Spike, the 2008 Rookie of the Year qualified eleventh and finished second in his heat race. Currently second in points, Faas has one feature win, two Sander Engineering / Rod End Supply Fast Time Awards, four heat race victories, two Keizer Wheels / Ringers Gloves Hard Charger Awards, 26 feature laps led, and eight top-5 finishes.
Visalia's Richard Vander Weerd earned the night's Ringers Gloves / Keizer Wheels "Hard Charger / Best Passing Job" honors with a seventh place run after starting twentieth. Piloting the family owned #10 Vander Weerd Construction / Mid Valley Pipe & Supply Maxim, Richard qualified twentieth and ran fourth in his heat race. To date, Vander Weerd is twelfth in points with one Sander Engineering / Rod End Supply Fast Time Award, five feature laps led, and one top-five finish.
Ventura's "The Kruser" Cory Kruseman won his fourth heat race of the year by claiming the Saldana Racing Products / Circle Track Performance Heat Race #2. Driving Mark Priestley's #7 Roy Miller Freight Lines / Sander Engineering Bullet, the 2006 Champion qualified seventeenth and scored tenth in the main event after starting seventeenth. In 2012, Kruseman is currently seventh in points with three top-5 finishes and 10 feature laps led.
Scott Pierovich of Alamo won the night's DJ Safety Heat Race #3. Piloting the Dave Vertullo / Ken Pierson #14 Starr Property Management / ART Enterprises Eagle, Pierovich was eighteenth fast in time trials and twelfth in the feature after starting eighteenth. The USAC Western Midget Series graduate left Santa Maria third in Western Classic points.
The traditional 410s will return to action on Saturday, August 18th, at Don Kazarian's Perris Auto Speedway. The showcase 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.
The following night, Sunday, August 19th, the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprints will return to Victorville's Route 66 Motorplex. Promoted by ex-CRA/SCRA Sprint Car driver Scott Burns, the event will also feature the USAC Western Midget Series. Located on the San Bernardino Fairgrounds, more event information can be found at dirtentertainment.com or calling (909) 237-4965. The pit gate will open at noon, the spectator gates will open at 3:30pm, and racing is slated for 6:00pm.
With sponsorship from the United States Auto Club (USAC), Sprint Car teams that attend both races of the "Freeway Series" will receive 3 pit passes at Victorville. In addition, Route 66 Motorplex will give 2 grandstand tickets to all Sprint Car and Midget teams in attendance on Sunday.
To catch the action of the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series, Mike Truex's Loudpedal Productions has DVD videos available for purchase. For more information, call (805) 407-7229 or visit www.loudpedalvideo.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).
-------------------------------------------------------
AMSOIL USAC/CRA - WESTERN CLASSIC SPRINT RACE RESULTS:
August 11, 2012 – Santa Maria, California – Santa Maria Speedway
SANDER ENGINEERING / ROD END SUPPLY TIME TRIALS:
1. Mike Spencer, 50, Chaffin-14.592; 2. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-14.618; 3. Rickie Gaunt, 66, Miller-14.691; 4. Danny Sheridan, 18, Kittle-14.719; 5. Danny Faria Jr., 17v, Faria-14.753; 6. Rip Williams, 3, Jory-14.783; 7. A.J. Bender, 11, Bender-14.812; 8. Seth Wilson, 1X, Wilson-14.878; 9. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-14.883; 10. Shane Golobic, 73x, Ford-14.894; 11. Nic Faas, 4, Alexander-14.899; 12. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-14.912; 13. Tony Hunt, 56, Phulps-14.960; 14. Ryan Bernal, 73, Ford-14.982; 15. Rusty Carlile, 51, Carlile-15.056; 16. Jace Vander Weerd, 88, Vander Weerd-15.129; 17. Cory Kruseman, 7, Priestley-15.141; 18. Scott Pierovich, 14, Vertullo/Pierson-15.212; 19. Johnathon Henry, 17, Kruseman-15.283; 20. Richard Vander Weerd, 10, Vander Weerd-15.352; 21. Brandon Thomson, 16, Jones-15.515; 22. Tom Baker, 3T, Baker-16.077.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE 1: (10 laps)
1. Jace Vander Weerd, 2. Danny Sheridan, 3. Shane Golobic, 4. Johnathon Henry, 5. Mike Spencer, 6. A.J. Bender, 7. Tony Hunt, 8. Tom Baker. NT
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE HEAT RACE 2: (10 laps)
1. Cory Kruseman, 2. Nic Faas, 3. Brody Roa, 4. Richard Vander Weerd, 5. Seth Wilson, 6. Ryan Bernal, 7. Danny Faria Jr. NT
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE 3: (10 laps)
1. Scott Pierovich, 2. Cody Williams, 3. Rusty Carlile, 4. Rip Williams, 5. Austin Williams, 6. Brandon Thomson, 7. Rickie Gaunt. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps - With Starting Positions)
1. Danny Sheridan (7th), 2. Mike Spencer (9th), 3. Rip Williams (6th), 4. Jace Vander Weerd (1st), 5. Nic Faas (4th), 6. Ryan Bernal (16th), 7. Richard Vander Weerd (20th), 8. Danny Faria Jr. (11th), 9. Rusty Carlile (2nd), 10. Cory Kruseman (17th), 11. Austin Williams (14th), 12. Scott Pierovich (18th), 13. Seth Wilson (13th), 14. Tony Hunt (15th), 15. Tom Baker (22nd), 16. A.J. Bender (12th), 17. Cody Williams (3rd), 18. Brody Roa (8th), 19. Brandon Thomson (21st), 20. Johnathon Henry (19th), 21. Shane Golobic (5th), 22. Rickie Gaunt (10th). NT
----------------------------
**Danny Faria Jr. flipped during the second heat.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-6 Jace Vander Weerd, Laps 7-22 Danny Sheridan, Laps 23-29 Mike Spencer, Lap 30 Danny Sheridan.
RINGERS GLOVES / KEIZER WHEELS HARD CHARGER: Richard Vander Weerd (20th to 7th)
LRB INC. RACE PRODUCTS AWARD: Rip Williams
NEW AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT STANDINGS:
1-Mike Spencer-819, 2-Nic Faas-699, 3-Austin Williams-594, 4-Brody Roa-561, 5-Rip Williams-544, 6-Ryan Bernal-544, 7-Cory Kruseman-479, 8-Matt Mitchell-461, 9-Cody Williams-406, 10-Seth Wilson-370.
NEW USAC WESTERN CLASSIC SPRINT STANDINGS:
1-Tony Hunt-562, 2-Shauna Hogg-538, 3-Scott Pierovich-388, 4-Tom Baker-340, 5-Gordon Rodgers-319, 6-Marty Hawkins-233, 7-Brian McClish-209, 8-Tim Skoglund-179, 9-Cody Gerhardt-174, 10-Taylor Simas-155.
2012 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE - TRACK - LOCATION
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 (Glenn Howard Memorial)
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)
-----------------------------------------------
* = Co-Sanctioned Event With USAC National Sprints.
** = Co-Sanctioned Event With USAC Western Classic Racing Series.
This schedule is subject to change.
|
