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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series
Bryan Clauson In Victory Lane. Photo by Tim Aylwin.
BRYAN CLAUSON SPRINTS TO CANYON VICTORY
by Lance Jennings
PEORIA, AZ - MARCH 3, 2013... Noblesville, Indiana's Bryan Clauson continued his winning ways last Friday night at Canyon Speedway Park. After starting sixth in the main event, Clauson took control from Nic Faas on lap fifteen and led the rest of the way to claim his sixth career Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car victory. Faas, Bud Kaeding, "The Demon" Damion Gardner, and 5-time Champion Mike Spencer top rounded out the top-five drivers.
At the drop of the green flag, outside front row starter Hunter Schuerenberg of Sikeston, Missouri grabbed the early lead. Piloting the BRAT Racing #8 Hose Advantage Store Viper, Schuerenberg looked to run away from the field as David Cardey, Gardner, Kaeding, and Spencer gave chase. While the veteran drivers battled hard for position, it was Nic Faas that was on the move. Starting eighth and making some daring moves, Faas slipped into second and began to track down the leader.
After several bids for the lead fell short, Faas made a successful pass and took command from Schuerenberg on lap ten. By this time, Clauson had powered his machine into third and looked for more. Continuing his forward charge, Bryan quickly moved into second and challenged Nic for the top spot. The defending USAC National Champion was not to be denied on this night and shot to the lead after a few laps. Setting a fast pace on the Canyon clay oval, the leaders reached slower traffic and Faas stayed close. The opening never came and Clauson took the checkered flags, winning the first night of the "Copper On Dirt."
Driving Mike Martin's #16B Ultimate Offroad / Naquin Precision Earth Moving Maxim, Bryan Clauson continued his hot streak at the Peoria, Arizona facility. Earlier this year, Bryan won the "Winter Challenge" mini-series and claimed three of the four main events. On this night, Clauson earned his first Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award by out-qualifying the other twenty-six cars in attendance. Almost sweeping the program, Bryan finishes third in his heat race.
After leading five laps, Nic Faas of Huntington Beach, California had to settle for second. Piloting Mark Alexander's #4 Scott Sales / Competition Suspension Inc. Spike, Faas timed in sixth fast on the night and ran sixth in his heat race. The former Rookie of the Year transferred to the feature after finishing third in the semi-main.
Campbell, California's Bud Kaeding came home third after starting seventh in the feature. Driving Junior Bowman's #29 Ultimate Offroad / Buster & Ziggy Enterprises Maxim, Kaeding qualified second and placed sixth in his heat race. Last year's USAC West Coast Champion ran fourth in the semi-main, earning his spot in the 30-lap feature.
"The Demon" Damion Gardner of Concord, California ran fourth in a hard fought main event. Making his debut in Mark Alexander's #4A Scott Sales / Competition Suspension Inc. Spike, Gardner was fourth quick on the night and second in his heat race. The 2005 Champion is back on the West Coast with his sights on another title.
Temecula, California's Mike Spencer ran fifth in the opening night of the "Copper On Dirt." Piloting Ron Chaffin's #50 Grubstake Mini Storage / Madera Produce Maxim, Spencer qualified third and ran fifth in his heat race. Spencer and the Chaffin Motorsports Team made USAC history with their fifth straight championship and are looking add another for the record books.
Buckeye's Charles Davis Jr. earned the night's Keizer Wheels / Racing Optics "Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with a sixth place run from eighteenth. Driving the Gerry Cook owned #4G Lucas Oil RSS, Davis was eighteenth fast and won the Saldana Racing Products / Competition Suspension Inc. Heat Race #3. The five-time Arizona Champion will race occasionally with USAC/CRA as he chases after the USAC Southwest Championship.
Brody Roa of Buena Park, California won the program's Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Piloting the BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Burris Racing Spike, Roa was sixteenth quick and placed eleventh in the main event. Last year's Most Improved Driver will be making a bid for the championship in 2013.
Phoenix's R.J. Johnson scored the victory in the DJ Safety Heat Race #2. Driving Bobby Martin's #51 Weiler Farms / Pecon Builders Maxim, Johnson qualified eleventh and scored twenty-second in the main event. Like Davis, the second generation driver will race occasionally with USAC/CRA as he chases after the USAC Southwest crown.
Josh Hodges of Tijeras, New Mexico won the 12-lap Competition Suspension Inc. / Rod End Supply Semi-Main. Piloting the family owned #74X Napa Auto Parts / Mesilla Valley Transportation Maxim, Hodges was seventh fast and placed ninth in his heat race. The young driver claimed fifteenth in the 30-lap main event.
The Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series would like to thank Hoosier Tire, BR Motorsports, Circle Track Performance, Competition Suspension Inc., DJ Safety, Diversified Machine Inc., Extreme Mufflers, Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror, Keizer Wheels, King Racing Products, Racing Optics, Rod End Supply, SBI Fuel Systems, Saldana Racing Products, Weld Racing, and Woodland Auto Display for their support. If you or your company would like to become part of the series for the upcoming season, please email PR Director Lance Jennings at [email protected].
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 SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS:
March 1, 2013 – Peoria, Arizona – Canyon Speedway Park – 6th “Copper on Dirt”
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY TIME TRIALS:
1. Bryan Clauson, 16B, Martin-13.728; 2. Bud Kaeding, 29, Bowman-14.030; 3. Mike Spencer, 50, Chaffin-14.074; 4. Damion Gardner, 4A, Alexander-14.145; 5. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-14.194; 6. Nic Faas, 4, Alexander-14.223; 7. Josh Hodges, 74X, Hodges-14.224; 8. Hunter Schuerenberg, 8, BRAT-14.224; 8. David Cardey, 92, Sertich-14.274; 10. Mike Martin, 16, Martin-14.330; 11. R.J. Johnson, 51, Martin-14.384; 12. Matt Mitchell, 37, Mitchell-14.418; 13. Rip Williams, 3, Jory-14.420; 14. Rickie Gaunt, 66, Miller-14.425; 15. Ryan Bernal, 73, Ford-14.503; 16. Brody Roa, 91, BR-14.594; 17. Bruce St. James, 7K, St. James-14.598; 18. Charles Davis Jr., 4G, Cook-14.601; 19. J.J. Yeley, 11, Yeley-14.632; 20. Cory Kruseman, 7, Priestley-14.675; 21. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-14.790; 22. Seth Wilson, 1X, Wilson-14.793; 23. James Aragon, 94, Aragon-14.829; 24. David Bezio, 37X, Bezio-14.904; 25. Andy Reinbold, 19, Underwood-14.936; 26. Michael Curtis, 11C, Turner/Wheeler-15.244; 27. Tony Everhart, 55, Everhart-15.330.
EXTREME MUFFLERS HEAT RACE 1: (8 laps)
1. Brody Roa, 2. Damion Gardner, 3. Bryan Clauson, 4. Mike Martin, 5. Rip Williams, 6. Seth Wilson, 7. J.J. Yeley, 8. Andy Reinbold, 9. Josh Hodges. NT
DJ SAFETY HEAT RACE 2: (8 laps)
1. R.J. Johnson, 2. Hunter Schuerenberg, 3. Austin Williams, 4. Rickie Gaunt, 5. Cory Kruseman, 6. Bud Kaeding, 7. Bruce St. James, 8. Michael Curtis, 9. James Aragon. NT
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE HEAT RACE 3 : (8 laps)
1. Charles Davis Jr., 2. David Cardey, 3. Ryan Bernal, 4. Matt Mitchell, 5. Mike Spencer, 6. Nic Faas, 7. Cody Williams, 8. Tony Everhart, 9. David Bezio. NT
COMPETITION SUSPENSION INC. / ROD END SUPPLY SEMI-MAIN: (12 laps)
1. Josh Hodges, 2. J.J. Yeley, 3. Nic Faas, 4. Bud Kaeding, 5. Bruce St. James, 6. Andy Reinbold, 7. Cody Williams, 8. Tony Everhart, 9. Seth Wilson, 10. Michael Curtis, 11. James Aragon, 12. David Bezio. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps - With Starting Positions)
1. Bryan Clauson (6th), 2. Nic Faas (8th), 3. Bud Kaeding (7th), 4. Damion Gardner (4th), 5. Mike Spencer (5th), 6. Charles Davis Jr. (18th), 7. Ryan Bernal (15th), 8. Matt Mitchell (12th), 9. Hunter Schuerenberg (2nd), 10. Cody Williams (21st), 11. Brody Roa (16th), 12. Rickie Gaunt (14th), 13. Austin Williams (3rd), 14. Cory Kruseman (20th), 15. Josh Hodges (9th), 16. Bruce St. James (17th), 17. David Cardey (1st), 18. David Bezio (23rd), 19. Rip Williams (13th), 20. Mike Martin (10th), 21. J.J. Yeley (19th), 22. R.J. Johnson (11th), 23. Andy Reinbold (22nd). NT
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-9 Hunter Schuerenberg, Laps 10-14 Nic Faas, Laps 15-30 Bryan Clauson.
KEIZER WHEELS / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Charles Davis Jr. (18th to 6th)
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