|
USAC/CRA Sprints at Manzanita Speedway Saturday night
by Windy McDonald
MARCH 11, 2008 --- The USAC/CRA sprint cars return to Manzanita Speedway Saturday night but will not return until the Hall of Fame Vintage Classic September 20.
Cory Kruseman, the 2006 driving champion, will be seeking his 23rd career win in the four years of USAC/CRA as the sanctioning body for the West Coast based group of sprint cars. Kruseman started the 2008 season by winning the first two races of the year and will carry a 43 point lead over two time USAC National Sprint Car champion Levi Jones into the seventh race on the schedule. However Jones will be heading back to the Midwest when the National season gets underway next month.
Mike Spencer ranks third 69 points behind Kruseman. Mike finished second to Tony Jones in the 2007 chase for the championship.
Kruseman is the only two time winner this year with the other five wins going to Shane Cottle, Blake Miller, Levi Jones and Danny Sheridan.
Among local drivers Jeremy Sherman, Charles Davis, Jr. and R.J. Johnson rank as those who managed wins against the visitors last year. Davis won twice, once in the March race at Manzy and the other in Tucson. Sherman, who will be seeking his 97th overall car win when he takes the Fred Bryan sprinter on the track. His win total includes ASCA, ASCS as well as midgets and Western World wins. He finished second to Shane Cottle in the Copper on Dirt race in February.
Johnson, a former two time midget champion was rookie of the year with the west coast cars in 2006 and won a main event at Perris last year. He is coming off a strong third place finish in last week’s season opener for the ASCS sprints.
Midwest driver Jesse Hockett, a second place finisher last week, will again drive a Jim Massey car and should run with the leaders Saturday night.
Nathan High, who drove to a fourth place finish last week will again wheel the ABC Motorsports car. He will also begin defending the Arizona Midget Racing Association championship he won last year.
The race marks the season opener for the midgets. The AMRA has 16 dates confirmed in the 2008 season with four more likely to be added to their schedule.
The USAC/CRA program will be a tribute to the Bromme family who have played an important role in West Coast non winged sprint car racing for decades. The Bromme family won the CRA owner’s title in 1965, then came back to win three in a row from 1980-1982., After winning the 1985 title the went on to win multiple championships in SCRA with drivers Lealand McSpadden and Richard Griffin and the 2005 USAC/CRA title with car owner Ron Chaffin and driver Damion Gardner. The Ron Chaffin sprinter, with
Bruce Bromme, Jr. as crew chief has won ever SCRA and USAC/CRA champion with the exception of 2004, 2006 and 2007.
Barnett Dirt Modifieds, AMA Modlites and Factory Stocks will be sharing the one third mile track Friday night. Anthony Madrid scored his 111th career win in the dirt modified season opener and was leading last week’s factory stock feature until he fell victim to lapped traffic. He ranks fourth on the list of all time wins and is now only seven wins behind Lealand McSpadden.. Madrid could well move even closer Friday night.
Jay Foster figures to offer stiff competition in the dirt modifieds and Matt Martinez could make it two straight in the factory stocks. Former champion Jason Noll had a strong outing in the opener and will be out to improve on his third place finish this week. Veteran driver Nick Bruce will be seeking a second straight win in the modlites. Second generation driver Justin Thornton finished second in his first start in a modlite while former dirt modified drivers Robert King, Jr. and Terry Belcher hope to keep lady luck on their side this week after both had problems in the season opener.
Race time each night is set for 7:30 with the sprint cars qualifying an hour earlier.
|
