|
Traditional Sprint Car FanSite |
See You At The Races!!! |
| RICKIE GAUNT WINS SECOND IN
A ROW AND FIRST EVER NON-WING AT SANTA MARIA by Ken Wagner |
|
|
|
RIP WILLIAMS CONTINUES TO PAD CHAMPIONSHIP POINT LEAD. |
|
June 19, 2005...Super Rickie Gaunt won his second
Valvoline USAC/CRA series race in a row driving the Smiley Crane
Service, Extreme Chassis Co., Chargin, Extreme # 2A sprinter at
Santa Maria Speedway this weekend. Rickie grabbed the lead from
teammate Charles Davis Jr on lap 9 and led the rest of the
way. His last win at the scenic facility was in 1991 in a wing car.
It was the largest crowd at the race track in three years.
Rickie held off the point leader, Rip Williams, the last
half of the race and later said in the winners circle, I couldnt of
held em off for 5 more laps, I knew the Ripper and the Demon were
back there and they let me have my way. It was Rickies 19th non-wing
sprint car win It was another good night for the Ripper, Rip Williams in the John Jory Corporation, Weld Wheels, Stinger, Shaver # 3. He set fast time, finished fourth in his heat and started eighth in the Main Event. When he took over second, it was too late to catch the winner, but he scored his third straight runner-up finish and tenth podium of the year. Damion Gardner hasnt been on the podium since his last win on May 21st. In those three races he was 10th, 15th and 19th with a variety of problems. This week he was second in his heat and jumped the Temecula Valley Pipe & Supply, Arizona Race Mart, Eagle, Shaver # 50 back in second place in the point standings. The Demon took a wild ride at the small oval in a rebuilt car after last weeks crash at Perris. With two incidents on the first two starts of the 30 lap race,
three of the front three drivers became the rear three before Charles
Davis Jr swept out to a quick lead on the third attempt to start
the main event. Cory Kruseman was in the mix until his motor
began popping and he fell back to 18th, barely running at the end. Danny
Ebberts came from his Local driver, Danny Sheridan was up to do well for his fans at his home track, but it didnt turn out very well. On the first start of the main event he was outside the front row next to Jordan Hermansader. Jordan took the lead and when they went down the backstretch, Danny promptly moved around for the lead, but the two cars touched and he spun to a stop. Two guys going for the lead on the start, and it always seems to bring out problems. Danny restarted at the back only to have something break and he was officially the first car out. The restart sent Hermansader and Josh Ford to the rear after another brain fade incident, this time in turn one. It was wild out there. Tyler Brown won a wild and exciting midget race at Santa Maria after one incident took the top four out on one scrum. A good field, less Wally Pankratz making his last appearance here and blowing the motor in hot laps, added a racy event tot he night. The PAS made a schedule change this past week. The USAC/CRA race scheduled for July 16th has been moved forward one week to July 23rd, to allow anyone running Indiana Sprint week to fly home after it ends on Friday night to run Perris on that Saturday. If they left a car home, it will work, but no hauler is going to make it from Indiana to Perris the next night and not break any speed laws. It was sad to hear Dave Strickland Sr passed away. Happy fathers day to all it applies. I had three grandsons with me on the trip to Santa Maria and we left before the stocks were done in order to get home by 2:30 AM. Imagine the three sleepers rolling down the highway while grandpa toiled behind the wheel. They washed the car and fixed me a burger on my day, so it was a happy fathers day. John Scott some of you may remember left to go run USAC in Indiana. He struggled, but didnt give up and at Limo, Ohio on Friday he ran 10th behind winner Levi Jones. Saturday he did one better as he ran 4th at Tony Stewart's Eldora Speedway. Maybe a few broken bones at Anderson was just what he needed to prod him on, good job John! VALVOLINE USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: |
