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HANSEN TOPS CRA RUN AT PERRIS |
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Perris, Calif…(July 19, 2008) Garrett Hansen, Manhattan Beach, Calif., took advantage of a late-race restart and put the Mark Preistley / Roy Miller Freightlines No. 7 Maxim into the lead with three laps remaining Saturday at the Perris Auto Speedway. From there, Hansen went on to post his second Lucas Oil USAC/CRA win of the year. Hansen’s run also marked the fourth time in the last five events that he has finished fourth or better. “It’s an exciting win for us because it’s a different car than we ran the last time we won here (6/21),” Hansen said before recalling a few anxious moments that occurred during the 30-lap race. “We had a couple close calls tonight, but I just kept driving as hard as I could trying to win the race. Front row starters Seth Wilson and Blake Miller of Yorba Linda, Calif., battled for the lead on the opening lap with Wilson winning the race back to the flag-stand. Using the middle groove, Miller put his Jeff Gardner / Roy Miller Freightlines No. 93 Sled into the lead on the third lap exiting turn-two. Yorba Linda, California’s Rip Williams was running sixth when his John Jory / AMA Plastics No. 3 Stinger suddenly slowed on lap-five and collected ninth-place Alan Ballard. Both drivers would restart the event with Williams eventually finishing fifth and Ballard eighth. Danny Sheridan entered the race ranked second in series point and was charging his was to the front. In fact, Sheridan passed Hansen for the second-position on lap-14, only to have Hansen take it right back. Coming down the front-straight having just completed the 16th-lap, Hansen and Sheridan were nearly side-by-side when they touched Hoosier Tires. Sheridan’s car climbed the left-side of Hansen’s car before flipping hard into the turn-one fence. Unbelievably, Hansen was able to drive away from the incident even though the left-side of his ride showed just how much contact there was with Sheridan. “There was actually a tire that got into my cockpit and that was kind of scary,” Hansen later confessed. “There was a little contact with my helmet, but nothing too serious. It was definitely exciting. I’m just glad that everyone is okay and that we were able to keep it straight and not stop on the race track.” Showing no sign of nerves from the incident with Sheridan, Hansen immediately took at shot at Miller for the lead entering turn-one on the restart. Staying smooth on the bottom line, Miller maintained the top spot and slowing began pulling away from Hansen. With Miller comfortably in the lead and flawlessly working lapped traffic, David Cardey was putting on a show from the 15th starting spot. Unfortunately for Cardey, he had just moved into the third-position when he jumped the turn-two cushion, hit the wall and flipped on lap-28. Cardey was not hurt, but the same could not be said for Miller’s comfortable lead. Knowing that the restart might be his only opportunity to displace Miller from the lead, Hansen rode close to Miller’s tail-tank coming down to accept the green flag. Moving down from the cushion he had been running along most of the race, Hansen found enough traction using the middle grove to pass Miller exiting turn-two. Miller charged back during the final lap, but would have to settle for the runner-up spot. Miller would, however; move ahead of Sheridan in the USAC/CRA series point standings. “I knew when the red flag came out that I had to do something drastic on the outside because Blake was too good on the bottom. Luckily, he made a mistake right when I decided to pass him on the top and it just fell in our hands,” Hansen said with a big grin. Defending USAC/CRA Champion Tony Jones, Norco, Calif., started the race in seventh before driving the Alexander Trucking / La Villa Restaurant No. 4 DRC to a third-place finish. Tyler Brown, Norco, Calif., enjoyed a good run driving the Nadine Gardner / Goodwine Glass No. 96 Chalk from tenth to fourth. Current USAC/CRA point leader Mike Spencer, Temecula, Calif., turned the fastest lap in qualifying (17.828) and finished sixth in the main event. For the second straight race, Greg Bragg took home Hard-Charger honors with his 16th to ninth-place drive. |
