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Los Angeles, CA. - USAC/CRA race three
of 2006 on March 4 at Perris Auto
Speedway was an outstanding example of sprint car racing at its best
and purest-without wings. The car count was huge-57 cars-and
outstanding in quality. Rounds one and two January 21 at Manzanita
Speedway in Phoenix and February 4 at PAS had 33 and 41 cars
respectively. Drivers March 4 came from six states-CA., AZ, NM, IN,
IL and MO. There was a good crowd in the main grandstand and pits
and the track surface was racy all night. It was 55 degrees at 6:00
p.m, just before time trials started and a chilly 42 degrees at
10:47, shortly after the 30-lap main event concluded at 10:20.
All March 4 USAC/CRA races were taped for airing
Saturday, April 1 on the Outdoor Network. Booth announcers were Jack
Arute and Rob Klepper. The TV pit reporter, Brienne Pedigo, even got
to ride in Cory Kruseman's two-seater sprint car on the PAS
half-mile clay track. Brienne is the daughter of an IRL co-car owner
(No. 4 Pennzoil). Television cameras were on the roof of the
announcer/timing-scoring booth, on a scissors-type hoist outside
turn one and on an identical hoist at the third turn infield. The
22-car A-main had one caution flag on lap 12 for the stalled car of
David Cardey, who lost oil pressure and dropped out on lap 17. There
were 21 cars still racing at the checkered flag from starter Eddie
Ramirez and 11 drivers were on the lead lap.
Notes from March 4: The one-lap track record is
15.954 set by Damion Gardner two Halloweens back. Damion came out
43rd to qualify and knocked USAC National series competitor Josh
Wise, the ninth qualifier, off fast time honors. Wise ran 16.420 and
Gardner ran a 16.375. Josh had a 16.480 and Damion a 16.520 as their
throwaway qualifying laps. Thirteen drivers qualified in the
16-second bracket, 32 drivers were in the 17-second class, six ran
18-second best laps, three had 19+ best laps and two drivers DNQ.
The 32 fastest qualifiers went directly to the four ten-lap heat
races. Two C main events had 12 cars in each to race six laps. The
top four finishers in each C main were added to the back of the four
heat races that started ten cars each instead of the usual nine
cars. Several good cars and drivers did not advance past the C
mains.
Impressive drives: Azusa PD cop Nadine Keller
started second and led all six laps to win the second C main by half
a straight-away. It was the strongest showing yet for the
owner/driver and graduate of Cory Kruseman's Racing School. David
Cardey, a NASCAR GN West veteran, led all ten laps of heat two to
win by half a straight. He had a backup No. 59 Jim Giardina sprint
car in the pits at his disposal. Illini Mat Neely, in Garrett
Ishii's usual winged sprint car racing without a wing for the first
time finished second in heat three. Neely led the A-main six laps
before he finished his PAS career best third. Mike Spencer passed
two fast cars on lap 11 of the 12-lap B main to jump from third
to first. He won the B main by five yards over Wise.
Rip Williams, winner of the afternoon February 4
PAS feature and the 2004 USAC/CRA champion, was the first driver to
qualify. He had a sour engine on both qualifying laps and ran
uncharacteristic laps of 18.030 and 18.102 to wind up starting deep
(eighth) in one of the two C mains. Rip finished third in his C main
to make the back row (ninth spot) in heat three, where he finished
fifth to just miss a direct transfer to the A main. Rip started 21st
in the 22-car, 12-lap B-main that transferred the first six
finishers to the A-main. Rip finished seventh, just behind Danny
Ebberts, with 18-cars RAF (running at
finish). Rip caught a break when Seth Wilson (second place in heat
four) scratched
from the A-main. So first alternate Rip started 22nd (last) in the
A-main without having to use a provisional starting position. He
finished 20th in the feature.
FLIPS: Randy Waitman led lap one and headed into
the first turn on lap two leading the third heat. He bicycled and
flipped wildly to the embankment and back onto the track. He was
dazed and complained about a wrist injury. An ambulance transported
him to a Riverside hospital. Steve Ostling had a similar nasty
multiple flip crash in the first turn while running fourth on lap
four during the B-main when drilled by fifth place J. Hicks. A lap
two three-car tangle resulted in Tom Stansberry's car rolling onto
its side in the second turn.
He restarted and finished 16th. The Speed News hour-long show March
5 on Speed
Channel showed both wild flips by Waitman and Ostling thanks to
USAC/CRA
videographer Jeff Kristensen. Northern Californian Rick Williams had
his No. 6 in sixth place on lap five of the first heat when he
slammed hard into the first turn wall and spun out. The car went to
the pits on the business end of a wrecker. He made repairs, started
second and led ten laps of the B main before finishing third. Rick
started tenth and finished 18th in the A-main.
Following the B main Damion Gardner received the
Dean Thompson Award for his 2005 PAS accomplishments-15 fast
qualifying times and nine feature victories. Stephanie Laski, niece
of the late Thompson, presented the award to Gardner at the starting
line. "Thanks a lot. It means a lot to me to get this
award." Gardner stated. Thompson's long-time Bruce Bromme crew
chief Bruce Bromme, Jr is Gardner's crew chief on his No. 50 Ron
Chaffin sprint car. Bruce Jr missed the March 4 race while
recovering from a recent medical procedure. However, Bruce followed
the current example of Jimmie Johnson's Nextel Cup absent crew chief
Chad Knaus and stayed in touch with his crewmen via telephone.
Top USAC/CRA rookie Blake Miller, a past Ventura
Racing Association 360 cu. in. sprint car feature multiple winner,
entered the March 4 race ranked tenth in USAC/CRA series points. In
the first heat he finished second but officials set him back two
positions to fourth place for jumping a restart. He still made the
A-main directly from his heat race. That is a significant
achievement for a rookie. In heat two Tony Jones, son of retired
driver Bubby Jones, reported his car "was chattering." His
crew said his car might have been "hooked up to the track too
much." Royal Adderson (No. 38x) and Thomas Grunkemeyer
made their PAS debuts. Grunkemeyer's No. 6z was one of three No. 6
cars present. Former TQ Midget champion Todd Hunsaker's No. 6x is
the ex-Wiley Miller No. 75.
Teacher Linzy Stansberry, from the No. 48 and No.
75T team, used the pit microphone last November at PAS to solicit
help from racing fans and teams. She sought contributions of
clothing, including shoes, racing shirts and jackets, to provide to
underprivileged children at the school where she teaches. The
clothing was needed for the approaching winter months. The
collection date was November 18 at the annual Jack Kindoll Classic
race at PAS. She and driver Tom Stansberry's crew collected usable
clothing that Linzy dispersed to children. PAS track announcer Scott
Daloisio gave Linzy well-deserved recognition over the track PA
system March 4.
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