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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series
#66 "Super" Rickie Gaunt. Photo by Lance Jennings.
USAC/CRA'S PERRIS-VICTORVILLE "FREEWAY SERIES" BEGINS THIS SATURDAY
By Lance Jennings
SANTA MARIA, CA – AUGUST 14, 2012… This Saturday and Sunday, the Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will compete in a special 2-day "Freeway Series" in Southern California. Starting August 18th at Don Kazarian's Perris Auto Speedway, the powerful 410 sprints will also headline Sunday's opening of Scott Burns' Route 66 Motorplex in Victorville. Both events will have valuable championship points up for grabs and a talented roster of drivers are expected at both tracks.
Saturday's return to Perris Auto Speedway will also feature the PAS 360 Senior Sprints and winged California Lightning Sprints. USAC/CRA point leader Mike Spencer has won five of the last six events at the popular half-mile oval and will be looking to continue his march to another title. The spectator gates will open at 5:00pm and racing at "America's Premier Dirt Track" will begin at 7:00pm.
The Sunday showcase at Route 66 Motorplex will also mark the first appearance of the USAC Western Midget Series at the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds. Last season on March 26th, Nic Faas set a new track record in time trials and Spencer won the 30-lap feature. Promoter Burns has promised to make this a "must see event" for fans of open wheel racing and looks for big things at the 3/8-mile facility. 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), all 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.
Local and visiting cars are also eligible to participate in USAC/CRA's Contingency Program that awards sponsor certificates to fast time, heat race winners, semi-main winner, hard charger, and more. The certificates will be paid in addition to the regular USAC/CRA purse of $2500-to-win and $300-to-start the main event.
After winning at Watsonville and finishing a close second at Santa Maria, Mike Spencer of Temecula holds a 120-point advantage over the competition. Piloting Ron Chaffin's famed #50 Madera Produce / Grubstake Mini Storage Maxim, the 4-time champion has seven feature wins, seven Sander Engineering / Rod End Supply Fast Time Awards, two heat race victories, one Ringers Gloves / Keizer Wheels Hard Charger Award, 139 feature laps led, and twelve top-5 finishes to his credit. Spencer and the Bruce Bromme Jr. led team will be looking to claim victories at Perris and Victorville.
Huntington Beach's Nic Faas is second in championship points. Driving Mark Alexander's #4 Scott Sales Company / Competition Suspension Inc. Spike, the former Rookie of the Year was eighth at Watsonville and fifth at Santa Maria. To date, Faas has one feature win, two Sander Engineering / Rod End Supply Fast Time Awards, four heat race victories, two Ringers Gloves / Keizer Wheels Hard Charger Awards, 26 feature laps led, and eight top-5 finishes on the year. Nic will be looking to close the gap in the point chase with feature wins at Perris and Route 66 Motorplex.
Austin Williams of Yorba Linda is third in the point standings. Piloting Jack Jory's #2 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, the former Rookie of the Year was fifth at Watsonville and eleventh at Santa Maria. In 2012, Williams has one feature win, four heat race victories, one Competition Suspension Inc. / Diversified Machine Inc. Semi-Main win, one Ringers Gloves / Keizer Wheels Hard Charger Award, 29 feature laps led, and seven top-five finishes on the season. Austin will have his sights on adding feature wins at Perris and Victorville to his resume.
Buena Park's Brody Roa sits fourth in the championship standings. Driving the BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Burris Racing Spike, the 2010 Wagsdash Champion was third at Watsonville and eighteenth at Santa Maria. To date, Roa has one feature win, two heat race victories, one Competition Suspension Inc. / Diversified Machine Inc. Semi-Main win, 33 feature laps led, and three top-5 finishes to his credit. The BR Performance team found engine problems after the Santa Maria feature and are hoping to have repairs made in time for the "Freeway Series."
"The Ripper" Rip Williams of Yorba Linda has climbed to fifth in the point chase. Piloting Jack Jory's #3 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, the 2004 Champion was sixth at Watsonville and third at Santa Maria. In 2012, "The Ripper" has one Sander Engineering / Rod End Supply Fast Time Award, two heat race victories, one Competition Suspension Inc. / Diversified Machine Inc. Semi-Main win, 1 feature lap led, and four top-5 finishes. The Hall of Fame driver will have his sights on winning at Perris and Victorville.
Among the other top contenders expected to be in action are Hollister's Ryan Bernal, "The Kruser" Cory Kruseman of Ventura, Yorba Linda's "Cadillac" Cody Williams, Seth Wilson of Las Vegas, Riverside's "Dynamite" David Cardey, Visalia's Richard and Jace Vander Weerd, "Super" Rickie Gaunt of Torrance, and many more.
Perris Auto Speedway is located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in Perris, California. Adult tickets are $25, Senior tickets are $20, Active Military, Students (13-18), and Kids tickets (6-12) are $5. Children’s tickets (5 and under) are FREE. For more event information, visit the track’s website at www.perrisautospeedway.com or call (951) 940-0134.
Route 66 Motorplex is located on the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds at 14800 Seventh Street in Victorville, California. Adult tickets are $15, Military, Student, and Senior tickets are $10, and Children’s tickets are $5. For more event information, visit www.dirtentertainment.com or call (909) 237-4965.
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 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 CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. Mike Spencer-819; 2. Nic Faas-699; 3. Austin Williams-594; 4. Brody Roa-561; 5. Rip Williams-544; -. Ryan Bernal-544; 7. Cory Kruseman-479; 8. Matt Mitchell-461; 9. Cody Williams-406; 10. Seth Wilson-370; 11. David Cardey-273; 12. Richard Vander Weerd-268; 13. David Bezio-253; 14. Jace Vander Weerd-239; 15. Greg Alexander-188; 16. Jake Swanson-117; 17. Josh Ford-99; 18. Tony Everhart-68; 19. Josh Pelkey-51; 20. Jon Kairot-37.
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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)
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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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