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| Press Release |
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SHERIDAN SWEEPS FIRECRACKER FIELD |
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Perris, Calif…(July 4, 2008) Danny “Showtime” Sheridan, Santa Maria, Calif., was perfect Friday night at the Perris Auto Speedway. After setting fast time and winning his heat race, Sheridan started eighth in the 30-lap “Firecracker” feature and proceeded to drive his Kittle Plumbing / Pace Lighting No. 18 Stinger to his third Lucas Oil USAC/CRA sprint car main event win of the season. “We were on a mission tonight. We came out here last time with a car we really didn’t know too much about and it wasn’t as good as we’d hoped it would be at Perris,” Sheridan explained. “We still pulled out a fifth-place finish, but we came back here tonight with old-faithful and this car was phenomenal. I could drive under cars, around cars it didn’t matter. It was a pretty convincing night for us and to earn the Dean Thompson Award for sweeping is pretty exciting and I can’t wait to put that one my mantle.” Bakersfield, California’s Alan Ballard and Josh Ford started on the front row for the feature race. Ballard led the opening lap in the Ray Stansberry / Ron Bach Construction No.75 Maxim and was followed by Ford, Mike Spencer (Temecula, Calif.), Rip Williams, Tony Jones, Blake Miller and Sheridan. Making his first start since breaking his left foot during the season opener in February, Williams charged past Ford and Spencer before muscling his way ahead of Ballard in turn-two on the eleventh-lap. Unfortunately for Williams, he would lose the lead two laps later while attempting to lap his son Cody. Acting quickly, Spencer took advantage of Williams’ contact with his son and put the Ron Chaffin / Temecula Valley Pipe & Supple No. 50 Maxim into the lead. Even with the current USAC/CRA point leader now out front, Sheridan was clearly the fastest car on the track. By the end of the 17th-circuit Sheridan had removed Ballard from the second-position. Two-laps later, Sheridan showed Spencer the nose of his car entering turn-one. Moments later, the yellow flag flew for Rickie Gaunt, who was slowing on the racing surface. Spencer held the lead for a lap after the restart, but could do little slow Sheridan. Once again living-up to the nickname “Showtime,” Sheridan bravely squeezed around the outside of Spencer exiting turn-two on lap-20 and darted into the lead before reaching turn-three. “It was really the first time that I was able to sit behind the 50-car and wait,” Sheridan later said. “I showed Spencer the bottom hoping he would go down there, and he did, so we were able to get by him in turn-two on the top. From there it was just a drag race along the back-straight. When I got by him I knew that all I needed to do was get comfortable and drive my own race.” Comfortably driving his own race, Sheridan went on to beat Spencer to the checkered flag to post his sixth lifetime Lucas Oil USAC/CRA win. In addition to the “clean sweep”, the victory also helped move Sheridan into the second spot in series points, just 67-points behind Spencer. “We’ve got our stuff together and we’re going for the championship, Sheridan said with a confident grin. “We came this year with our game face on and we’re here to win a championship. I’d be lying to you if I told you we weren’t watching the points. We know that the most important thing is to be consistent every night, and we know if we can be consistent that the wins are going to come.” Ballard completed his most impressive Perris run of the year finishing third. Garrett Hansen, Manhattan Beach, Calif., drove the Mark Preistley / Roy Miller Freightlines No. 7 Maxim to a fourth-place finish. Ventura, California’s Cory Kruseman drove his Lucas Oil / Agromin No. 21k Viper from the tenth starting spot to finish fifth. Making his first start in the popular Moose Racing No. 92, Greg Bragg took home Hard-Charger honors with his 18th to eighth-place drive. |
