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11-6-11 Damion Gardner Wins
16th Annual Oval Nationals at Perris
Source Lance Jennings
Perris Auto Speedway
Starting from the pole position,
"The Demon" Damion Gardner of Concord, California led all 40-laps to win
the "16th Annual Budweiser Oval Nationals" at Don Kazarian's Perris Auto
Speedway. Gardner, who won the race in 2009, joins Bud Kaeding (2001,
2002, 2007), Cory Kruseman (2003, 2004), and Dave Darland (2005, 2006)
as the only multiple winners of the event. Mike Spencer, Levi Jones, Bud
Kaeding, and Chris Windom rounded out the top five drivers.
Piloting the DG Racing #71 Pace Lighting Eagle, Damion Gardner entered
the finale sixth in event points and was locked in the feature. Getting
the jump on fellow front row starter Levi Jones, "The Demon" sailed to
victory despite a red flag on lap eleven for Richard VanderWeerd and
Brady Bacon. From there, it was all Damion Gardner on this night as he
won his second career Oval Nationals. As this writing goes to press,
"The Demon" is sixth in Amsoil USAC National series points heading to
"The Finals" at Hanford.
Mike Spencer of Temecula, California was the event's high point driver
and won the Dean Thompson Award for his efforts. Starting sixth, the
USAC/CRA point leader drove Ron Chaffin's #50 Madera Produce / Grubstake
Mini Storage Maxim to second in the 40-lap finale. Later, Spencer won
the $10,000 Legends of Ascot Match Races by one point over Chris Windom.
The 3-time USAC/CRA Champion holds a fifty-three point lead over the
competition going into Hanford's season finale.
Olney, Illinois' Levi Jones claimed third in the 40-lap feature behind
the wheel of the Tony Stewart Racing #20 GM Performance Parts Eagle. The
4-time Amsoil USAC National Champion was fifth in event points and
finished third in the Legends of Ascot Match Races. Jones holds a
thirty-three point lead in the Amsoil USAC National standings.
Bud Kaeding of Campbell, California raced the #29 Buster & Ziggy / BK
Motorsports Maxim to fourth from the seventh starting spot. The 3-time
Oval Nationals Champion was seventh in event points heading into the
finale and will be a driver to watch at "The Finals" at Hanford's Giant
Chevrolet Kings Speedway.
Canton, Illinois' Chris Windom, scored fifth in the Oval Nationals
finale. Piloting the Baldwin Brothers Racing #5X Fox Paving / Claxton
Engines Maxim, the Round #2 winner was third in event points and second
in the Legends of Ascot Match Races. The Indiana Sprint Week Champion is
second in the Amsoil USAC National point chase.
"The Kruser" Cory Kruseman of Ventura, California earned his first
Sander Engineering Fast Time Award of the year aboard Mark & Carmen
Priestley's #7H Roy Miller Freight Lines / Sander Engineering Maxim. The
2006 USAC/CRA Champion was second in his qualifying race and scored
tenth in the Oval Nationals finale.
Sikeston, Missouri's Hunter Schuerenberg won the program's first
qualifying race sponsored by Extreme Mufflers and Huntington Beach Glass
& Mirror. Driving Hank Byram's #35 Fatheadz Eyewear / R&B Truckers
Spike, the young hard charger claimed twelfth in the 40-lap feature and
sits third in Amsoil USAC National points.
Bryan Clauson of Noblesville, Indiana raced to victory in the night's
second qualifying race backed by Saldana Racing Products and Circle
Track Performance. Piloting the Tucker/BCI/Curb-Agajanian #7 Curb
Records Spike, Clauson finished eighth in the Oval Nationals and is
currently eighth in Amsoil USAC National standings.
"Cadillac" Cody Williams of Yorba Linda, California won the night's
third qualifying race sponsored by DJ Safety. Driving Jack Jory's #44
John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Viper, Williams claimed fifteenth
in the 40-lap finale. The 2008 National Sprint Car Hall of Fame
Co-Rookie of the Year is fifth in the Amsoil USAC/CRA point chase.
Phoenix, Arizona's R.J. Johnson drove to victory in the Electro Tech
Powder Coating / Rod End Supply qualifying race #4. Piloting Bobby
Martin's #51 Weiler Farms / BG Chemicals Maxim, the ASCS Canyon Region
standout placed sixteenth in the Oval Nationals.
"The People's Champion" Dave Darland of Lincoln, Indiana won the
Competition Suspension Inc. B-Main #1. Driving Dwight Cheney's #42 Pace
Lighting / Sander Engineering DRC, Darland was third in his qualifying
race and scored seventeenth in the 40-lap finale. The 2-time Oval
Nationals Champion sits ninth in the Amsoil USAC National standings.
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma's Brady Bacon raced to victory in the 12-lap
Competition Suspension Inc. B-Main #2. Piloting the Dynamics Inc. #69
Mean Green / Mopar Chalk, the Short Track Nationals runner-up scored
twenty-fifth after an early flip ended his night.
Elk Grove's Kyle Larson earned his second Keizer Wheels Hard Charger
Award of the season with a thirteenth place run after starting
twenty-third. Piloting Junior Bowman's #1L Buster & Ziggy Enterprises /
Kaeding Performance Maxim, Larson finished third in his qualifying race
and fifth in the Legends of Ascot Match Races. Chico's "Tiner Family
Classic" winner is currently third in the USAC National Driver's
Championship points.
The Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series would like to thank Hoosier Tire,
Circle Track Performance, Competition Suspension Inc., DJ Safety,
Donovan Engineering, Electro Tech Powder Coating, Extreme Mufflers,
Hilborn Fuel Injection, Huntington Beach Glass & Mirror, Keizer Wheels,
Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Sander Engineering, and So-Cal
Performance for their support. For more information, visit
www.usacracing.com/cra or follow the series on facebook.
The season finale for both the Amsoil USAC/CRA and National Sprint Car
Series will be held this Saturday, November 12th, at Hanford's Giant
Chevrolet Kings Speedway. Located on the Kings County Fairgrounds, more
event information on "The Finals" can be found at
www.giantchevroletspeedway.com or calling (559) 584-RACE (7223).
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