Perris Auto Speedway
September 13, 2014
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DAMION GARDNER WINS “GLENN HOWARD CLASSIC” AT PERRIS

by Lance Jennings
PERRIS, CA – SEPTEMBER 14, 2014... After reaching 211mph in a sprint car at Bonneville, “The Demon” Damion Gardner of Concord passed Mike Spencer on lap seventeen and claimed the “Glenn Howard Classic” win at Perris Auto Speedway. For Gardner, Saturday’s Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car triumph was his eleventh victory of the season and tied his 2005 series record of four wins in a row. R.J. Johnson, Spencer, Matt Mitchell, and Austin Williams chased “The Demon” to the checkered flags.

Driving Mark Alexander’s #4 Scott Sales Company / J&D Performance Spike, Damion Gardner out-qualified the twenty-seven racers in the pit area and earned his eighth Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award. After running fourth in his heat race, the point leader claimed his fifty-seventh career USAC/CRA feature win after starting sixth. To date, “The World’s Fastest Sprint Car Driver” has a 253-point advantage with fourteen heat race victories, seventeen top-10 finishes, and 205 feature laps led on the season.

R.J. Johnson of Phoenix, Arizona had fallen back to third from the pole position before taking second from Spencer in the closing laps. Racing Bobby Martin’s #51 Weiler Farms / Pecon Builders Maxim, the USAC SouthWest point leader was ninth quick in time trials and won the 10-lap Saldana Racing Products / Circle Track Performance Heat Race #3. In limited starts, Johnson left Perris ranked nineteenth in points with one heat race victory, three top-10 finishes, and 5 feature laps led.

After leading the first sixteen laps, Temecula’s Mike Spencer placed third in the “Glenn Howard Classic.” Piloting Ron Chaffin’s #50 Grubstake Mini-Storage / Madera Produce Maxim, Spencer qualified seventh overall and ran third in his heat race. Heading to the Oval Nationals, the five-time champion is second in the point chase with one feature win, five Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Awards, two heat race victories, one Competition Suspension Inc. / Rod End Supply Semi-Main Win, one Keizer Wheels / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award, fifteen top-10 finishes, and 91 feature laps led to his credit.

Matt Mitchell of Yorba Linda raced from seventh to claim fourth in the Perris 30-lap feature. Driving his #37 Campbell Bros. Storage / Pit Boss Maxim, Mitchell was fourth fast in time trials, ran fifth in his heat race, and won the 8-lap Competition Suspension Inc. / Rod End Supply Semi-Main. The former USAC Western Midget Rookie of the Year sits fifth in the standings with one feature win, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, two heat race victories, ten top-10 finishes, and 35 feature laps led.

Yorba Linda’s Austin Williams took fifth in the “7th Annual Glenn Howard Classic.” Racing Jack Jory’s #2 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams qualified third overall and scored third in his heat race. Currently, the former Rookie of the Year is sixth in points with one feature win, one heat race victory, eight top-10 finishes, and 51 feature laps led in the campaign.

Logan Williams of Yorba Linda earned his second Keizer Wheels / Racing Optics "Hard Charger / Best Passing Job” honors with a fourteenth place finish from twenty-third. Piloting Jack Jory’s #5 John Jory Corporation / Hollingsworth Sandwich Shop Stinger, the leading rookie contender was twenty-fifth fast in time trials and scored eighth in his heat race after a tough flip. Using a provisional for the main event, Williams is tenth in the standings with one Competition Suspension Inc. / Rod End Supply Semi-Main Win and three top-10 finishes on the season.

Huntington Beach’s Brody Roa won the program’s Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Piloting the BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Burris Racing Maxim, Roa qualified thirteenth overall and scored eighth in the feature after starting thirteenth. Currently, the former Wagsdash Champion is third in points with six heat race victories, one Competition Suspension Inc. / Rod End Supply Semi-Main win, one Keizer Wheels / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award, and twelve top-10 finishes in 2014.

A.J. Bender of San Marcos won his third heat race of the season. Piloting the family owned #21 K&R Motorsports / Rosson Racing DRC, Bender qualified fourteenth, won the DJ Safety Heat Race #2, and scored twenty-third in the feature after having brake problems. The former California Lightning Sprint standout is twentieth in points with two top-10 finishes in the campaign.

AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT RACE RESULTS
September 13, 2014 – Perris, California – Perris Auto Speedway – “Glenn Howard Classic”

QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Damion Gardner, 4, Alexander-16.379; 2. Jake Swanson, 92, Sertich-16.487; 3. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-16.643; 4. Matt Mitchell, 37, Mitchell-16.693; 5. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-16.734; 6. Mike Martin, 16, Martin-16.790; 7. Mike Spencer, 50, Chaffin-16.793; 8. Rickie Gaunt, 66, Miller-16.865; 9. R.J. Johnson, 51, Martin-16.982; 10. Richard Vander Weerd, 10, Vander Weerd-17.014; 11. Jace Vander Weerd, 88, Vander Weerd-17.082; 12. Garrett Hansen, 7, Priestley-17.106; 13. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-17.108; 14. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-17.117; 15. David Bezio, 37X, Bezio-17.156; 16. Ronnie Gardner, 93, Gardner-17.176; 17. Chris Gansen, 4G, Gansen-17.254; 18. Jimmy Crawford, 51X, Crawford-17.351; 19. Corey Ballard, 34, Ballard-17.420; 20. Parker Colston, 64, Gore-17.495; 21. Rick Hendrix, 15, Hendrix-17.510; 22. Verne Sweeney, 98, Tracy-17.650; 23. Cal Smith, 39, Cal-Sun-17.842; 24. George Morris, 3K, Kruseman-17.960; 25. Logan Williams, 5, Jory-17.967; 26. Mikey Lovas, 36L, Lovas-18.575; 27. Kenny Perkins, 5X, Perkins-NT.

FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Roa, 2. R.Gardner, 3. Spencer, 4. D.Gardner, 5. Mitchell, 6. R.Vander Weerd, 7. Colston, 8. Smith, 9. Lovas. 2:50.70

SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Bender, 2. Gansen, 3. J.Vander Weerd, 4. Swanson, 5. Gaunt, 6. C.Williams, 7. Morris, 8. Hendrix. 2:51.43

THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Johnson, 2. Bezio, 3. A.Williams, 4. Martin, 5. Ballard, 6. Hansen, 7. Sweeney, 8. L.Williams. 2:49.49.

SEMI: (8 laps) 1. Mitchell, 2. C.Williams, 3. R.Vander Weerd, 4. Gaunt, 5. Hansen, 6. Colston, 7. Ballard, 8. Sweeney, 9. Smith, 10. Morris. 2:20.09

FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Damion Gardner, 2. R.J. Johnson, 3. Mike Spencer, 4. Matt Mitchell, 5. Austin Williams, 6. Cody Williams, 7. Garrett Hansen, 8. Brody Roa, 9. Ronnie Gardner, 10. Jace Vander Weerd, 11. Mike Martin, 12. David Bezio, 13. Verne Sweeney, 14. Logan Williams, 15. Cal Smith, 16. Richard Vander Weerd, 17. Jake Swanson, 18. Parker Colston, 19. George Morris, 20. Chris Gansen, 21. Corey Ballard, 22. Rickie Gaunt, 23. A.J. Bender. NT

**Crawford flipped during qualifications. L.Williams flipped during the third heat. R.Vander Weerd flipped during the feature.