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INTERVIEW
WITH USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR DRIVER “DYNAMITE” DAVID CARDEY! |
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(JUNE
7, 2006, PERRIS, CA) Riverside,
California’s David Cardey is contesting his third full season of 410 sprint
car racing in the USAC/CRA Series. He
came to the series after a successful run in lightning sprint cars that saw him
capture one championship. Heading
in this Saturday’s (June 10) Temecula Valley Pipe & Supply presented race
at Perris Auto Speedway, the 30 year sits 10th in points.
This is his story. THE
PAS: You are racing USAC/CRA and we know you drove a lightning sprint Car, but
what did you race before that? CARDEY:
A little bit of everything. Motorcycles,
jet skis, quads, go-carts. I
didn’t spend a lot of time in anything except for motorcycles.
I still ride. Mom got us a
car (Lightning Sprint) for Christmas. She
decided we needed something to do. I
had never seen one before. I knew
what a sprint car was, but had never seen a Lightning Sprint.
The rest is history. THE
PAS: How long did you race the lightning sprint? CARDEY:
Three and a half, four years. The
first year we kind of’ wrecked a bunch and spent half of the year not racing. THE
PAS: Your last couple seasons in lightning sprint were impressive.
In fact, one year you went undefeated at Perris Auto Speedway.
CARDEY:
That was our last year. That was
pretty awesome. I don’t know what
it was. We were always pretty good
here. The second year we were in
lightnings I think we won four here and then we won like ten in a row the last
year. I think we had a total of 14
or 15 wins here. We practiced here
a bunch and got real comfortable. THE
PAS: Did you win one or two championships in the lightning sprints? CARDEY:
Just one. We went from third place
one year to second the next and then the championship.
The last year we dominated. A
lot of people were leaving (the Lightning Sprints) and we did not know the
future of the club so we decided we were going to do something else.
My Dad was good friends with “Tooth Doc” (longtime open wheel driver
Jim Giardina). He gave us a chance
to run a little bit in his pavement car and his dirt car and we decided to run
some races in it. THE
PAS: Did your dad do any racing? CARDEY:
He never did anything like this, but he was pretty much the same as me.
He grew up around hot rods, boats and raced some road course stuff.
So did my uncle. Nobody in
our family ever raced sprint cars. THE
PAS: This is a family thing for you. Your
dad & mom, your wife. They are
all into it, correct? CARDEY:
Yeah it is. That is kind of
why we got into it. We did not
really know it (lightning sprints) was going to lead to this.
We were just kind of getting into it for fun and to have something to do
on the weekends. It evolved to
where we are at now and we are still having a lot of fun.
Everyone comes out to the races. My
wife, mom, dad, uncle and we have a lot of friends who come out, too. THE
PAS: California Lightning Sprint Car compared to a 410 USAC/CRA car.
The 410 is a lot heavier and has way more horsepower.
And, it does not have a wing on top like the lightning sprint.
So, did driving the lightning sprint help at all when you jumped into the
410? CARDEY:
Well, I guess it was better than not having anything, but they are totally
different. We went right from a lightning to here and it was quite a jump.
Luckily they did the wing off for a few races in my last year and the
year before that so we got a little bit of experience without the wing and to
see what the difference was. I
don’t know if anything prepares you for one of these (410) except for maybe a
360. We had “Tooth Doc” and
some people who had some experience so it made it a lot easier. THE
PAS: Tell is about racing the Jim Russell Series and the NASCAR West Series. CARDEY:
We kind of’ got into a little bit of everything and did not know what we
wanted to do. The Russell deal was
kind of cool. We wanted to run some
road races and that was fun just showing up and driving.
That is just a completely different world.
Won a couple of races up there in Sonoma.
Got an opportunity to run a NASCAR West car, too, so we did that probably
a dozen times now. That was a lot
of fun, but we did not get any sponsors and could not afford it.
We probably still have a couple of races in front of us in that.
Hopefully, California Speedway and maybe back up at Sonoma, but we are
going to concentrate on the sprint car. THE
PAS: Would you like to go back to that in the future and run a full series? CARDEY:
I would love to. That was the goal
this year, but it just didn’t happen. We
are still looking. Hopefully if we
do a little better here we might get some more exposure.
We will see what happens. That
is why we are going to keep our foot in the door and run a couple races.
We were just starting to click with the crew chief and the group over
there. We had some pretty good
runs, but we do not have a lot to show for it as we had some motor breaks and
stuff. THE
PAS: You look so much more confident in the sprint car this year.
What is the difference? CARDEY:
Seat time and we got a new car. Glen
Crossno pointed us in the right direction and I think that was a big thing in
getting me comfortable. I was not
comfortable in what we had. Confidence
is everything. We (the crew) are
starting to work real well together, too. THE
PAS: Glen Crossno means you are now
driving Bullet Chassis, correct? CARDEY:
Yes. THE
PAS: Have you been running it all season long? CARDEY:
We started the year with the other car. We
ran two races with two different cars and I think we got this one about the
third race. Since then we have done
pretty well with it. It was a big
difference right off the bat. THE
PAS: Your best finish this year – I think – has been a fifth.
What is the key for a young guy to go up against the likes of Cory
Kruseman, Damion Gardner, Tony Jones, Rip Williams and Mike Kirby? CARDEY:
I think about it all the time. Those
guys have a ton of laps and they are comfortable.
I am friends with them and I talk to them all of the time.
Cheat off them and see what they have got.
You have to have everything going on.
It is mental. It is
physical. How you work together
with your crew. I think we are
starting to get all of that. If I
have an opportunity I will stick it in there, but if not, I don’t want to
wreck anybody. Hopefully, soon we
can be battling for a main event win. THE
PAS: Is there any intimidation factor from those guys? THE
PAS: Ok, now for the million-dollar question.
What is the main key to climb to the top of the ladder and win a USAC/CRA
main event? CARDEY:
Good question! I don’t know yet,
but I am working on that. Keep
progressing every race. That is
what we are trying to do. Just get
better and better. Saturday’s
dirt track brawl will feature qualifying, a C main if necessary, four 10 lap
heat races, a B main and a 30 lap gloves off fight to the checkered flag A main
event. Spectator gates will
open at 5:00 PM with racing at 7:00. Perris
Auto Speedway is located on the freeway close Lake Perris Fairgrounds
approximately one hour east of Los Angeles and one hour North of San Diego.
To get to the track, take the 215 freeway, exit on the Ramona Expressway
and go two miles east to the fairgrounds. Saturday’s race on the only half-mile clay oval in Riverside County will be preceded by Friday’s drag racing action on the Diamond Valley Honda Street Legal Drag Strip. The drag strip is also located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds. Anyone with a valid driver’s license, registration and helmet is eligible to race at the drag strip. Gates at the drag strip open at 5:00 PM with racing at 6:00 PM.
Anyone wishing more information can contact Perris Auto Speedway at (951) 940-0134. racesatthepas@aol.com
is the only authorized Internet address to issue official media news released
from The Perris Auto Speedway or Oval Entertainment
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