AUGUST 7, 2018… Last Saturday night, Max Adams (Loomis, California) led all 30-laps to earn his first $3,000 AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car win of the year at Santa Maria Raceway. Piloting his #5M ART Speed Equipment / Ken Imler Diesel Performance Maxim, Adams finished ahead of “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr., Brody Roa, A.J. Bender, and point leader “The Demon” Damion Gardner. It was the second career win for the 2016 Rookie of the Year.
Starting on the outside of the front row, Adams got the jump on polesitter Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm. While Adams set a torrid pace on the Santa Maria clay, Malcolm was pressured for the runner-up spot by Jake Swanson. Unfortunately, action was halted on lap six after contact between the two drivers sent Swanson flipping into the third turn fence. Further contact throughout the field sent fourth place Gardner, fifth running Austin Williams, and sixth place Cody Williams to the work area for repairs. Swanson was uninjured but his Moose Racing #92 was done for the night, while Gardner and the Williams brothers returned to action.
On the restart, seventh running Faria inherited second and looked to challenge Adams. Max had an excellent restart and shook free from the field. Powering by slower traffic at will, Adams sailed to the checkered flags at “The West’s Best Short Track.”
Before claiming Santa Maria’s 30-lap triumph, Max Adams began the night by qualifying sixth out of seventeen racers and won the 10-lap Circle Track Performance / Rod End Supply Heat Race #2. The 2017 Doug Fort Memorial winner has climbed to fifth in the point chase with one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award and seven top-10 finishes on the season.
Making his second start in Dwight Cheney’s #42 Racing Optics / Sander Engineering Maxim, “Hollywood” Danny Faria Jr. (Tipton, California) earned the Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics “Hard Charger Award / Best Passing Job” honors with second place run from ninth. The two-time USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Champion was eighth quick in time trials and placed sixth in his heat race.
After having brake issues before the green flag, Brody Roa (Garden Grove, California) charged to third after starting at the back at Santa Maria. Driving the BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Burris Racing Maxim, Roa qualified third overall and took fourth in his heat race. The 2016 USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Champion is second in points with two feature wins, one Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award, one heat race victory, one Competition Suspension Incorporated / Rod End Supply Semi-Main, one Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics Hard Charger Award, seven op-10 finishes, and 37 feature laps led.
A.J. Bender (San Diego, California) had one his best nights with USAC/CRA after driving from tenth to fourth at Santa Maria. Racing the family owned #21 K&R Motorsports / Rosson Racing DRC, Bender was tenth fast in time trials and scored fifth in his heat race. The 2008 California Lightning Sprint Rookie of the Year sits eighth in the point chase with four top-10 finishes in the campaign.
After suffering a flat rear tire on lap six, “The Demon” Damion Gardner (Concord, California) restarted at the back and sliced his way to fifth. Piloting Mark Alexander’s #4 Trench Shoring / Weld Racing Spike, Gardner qualified fifth overall and ran second to Tommy Malcolm in his heat race. To date, the six-time champion leads the point standings on the strength of two feature wins, five heat race victories, eight top-10 finishes, and 97 feature laps led on the year.
“The Cadillac” Cody Williams (Corona, California) earned his second Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award of the year. Driving Jack Jory’s #44 John Jory Corporation / AMA Plastics Spike, Williams scored sixth in his heat race and took eighth in the main event. At press time, 2008 National Non-Wing Sprint Co-Rookie of the Year is fourth in the standings with one heat race victory, six top-10 finishes, and 24 feature laps led in the campaign.
Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm (Corona, California) raced to victory in the 10-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1. Racing Dino Napier’s #5X Indiana Truck Salvage / Rockstar Coatings Maxim, Malcolm was ninth fast in time trials and scored fourteenth in the main event. To date, the young driver ranks seventh in points with two heat race victories, two Saldana Racing Products / Racing Optics Hard Charger Awards, and four top-10 finishes.
On Saturday, August 18th, the AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series will return to Don Kazarian’s Perris Auto Speedway for the annual “California Racers Hall of Fame Night.” Located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds in Perris, California, the ninth point race will also feature the PAS Senior Sprint Cars, PAS Young Gun Sprint Cars, California Lightning Sprints, and WRA Vintage Cars (Display). More event information can be found at www.perrisautospeedway.com or calling 951.940.0134.
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: August 4, 2018 – Santa Maria, California – Santa Maria Raceway
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATIONS: 1. Cody Williams, 44, Jory-13.621; 2. Austin Williams, 2, Jory-13.666; 3. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-13.679; 4. Jake Swanson, 92, Sertich-13.687; 5. Damion Gardner, 4, Alexander-13.720; 6. Max Adams, 5M, Adams-13.792; 7. Chris Gansen 4G, Gansen-13.801; 8. Danny Faria Jr., 42, Cheney-13.893; 9. Tommy Malcolm, 5X, Napier-13.964; 10. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-13.991; 11. Verne Sweeney, 98, Tracy-14.086; 12. Matt McCarthy, 28M, McCarthy-14.139; 13. Logan Williams, 5, Jory-14.188; 14. Joel Rayborne, 12B, Blair-14.450; 15. James Herrera, 5J, Herrera-14.857; 16. Austin Ervine, 51, AJ-15.035; 17. Brandon Wiley, 33B, Team 33-15.156.
EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Malcolm, 2. Gardner, 3. Sweeney, 4. Roa, 5. Gansen, 6. C.Williams, 7. Herrera, 8. L.Williams. NT
CIRCLE TRACK PERFORMANCE / ROD END SUPPLY SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Adams, 2. Swanson, 3. McCarthy, 4. A.Williams, 5. Bender, 6. Faria, 7. Ervine, 8. Rayborne, 9. Wiley. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions) 1. Max Adams (2nd), 2. Danny Faria Jr. (9th), 3. Brody Roa (5th), 4. A.J. Bender (10th), 5. Damion Gardner (3rd), 6. Logan Williams (13th), 7. Verne Sweeney (11th), 8. Cody Williams (7th), 9. Austin Williams (6th), 10. Matt McCarthy (12th), 11. Joel Rayborne (14th), 12. James Herrera (15th), 13. Chris Gansen (8th), 14. Tommy Malcolm (1st), 15. Jake Swanson (4th), 16. Brandon Wiley (16th), 17. Austin Ervine. NT
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**Rayborne flipped during the second heat race. Swanson flipped on lap 6 of the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-30 Adams
SALDANA RACING PRODUCTS / RACING OPTICS HARD CHARGER: Danny Faria Jr. (9th to 2nd)
AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1-Gardner-597, 2-ROa-572, 3-Swanson-530, 4-C.Williams-471, 5-Adams-438, 6-A.Williams-433, 7-Malcolm-382, 8-Bender-377, 9-R.J. Johnson-363, 10-L.Williams-346.
2018 AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES SCHEDULE
DATE-TRACK-LOCATION
August 18: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (California Racers Hall of Fame Night)
September 1: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic / California Sprint Week)
September 2: Calistoga Speedway – Calistoga, CA (Louie Vermeil Classic / California Sprint Week)
September 3: Petaluma Speedway – Petaluma CA (California Sprint Week)
September 6: Silver Dollar Speedway – Chico, CA (Gold Cup Race of Champions / California Sprint Week)
September 7: Ocean Speedway – Watsonville, CA (California Sprint Week)
September 8: Keller Auto Speedway at Kings Fairgrounds – Hanford, CA (California Sprint Week)
September 22: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Glenn Howard Classic)
September 28: Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Hall of Fame Classic)
September 29: Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Hall of Fame Classic)
October 20: Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA
November 2: *Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)
November 3: *Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)
November 8: *Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Budweiser Oval Nationals presented by All Coast Construction)
November 9: *Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Budweiser Oval Nationals presented by All Coast Construction)
November 10: *Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Budweiser Oval Nationals presented by All Coast Construction)
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* = Co-Sanctioned Event with AMSOIL USAC National Sprints.
This schedule is subject to change.
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ATTACHED PHOTOS/IMAGES:
#5M Max Adams & team in Santa Maria victory circle. Photo by Jon Paquet / Paquet Photography.
