LOS ANGELES, California vermont inns Round 10 of the AMS/Oil USAC-CRA 23 race schedule this season was the sixth race at Perris Auto Speedway . Mike Spencer, 30-year old four-time series champion (2008-09-10-11) and current point leader, made history by winning vermont inns his fifth 410 cu. in. sprint car PAS feature in a row. He also won the Dean Thompson vermont inns Award for the fifth time and is shooting for his fifth championship in the series. Mike drove the No. 50 Ron Chaffin Maxim/Shaver wrenched by Bruce Bromme, Jr, a 2011 National Sprint Car Hall of Fame (Knoxville, IA) inductee. As fastest qualifier of 24 drivers, Mike started the 22 car feature from his usual outside row four starting slot. He was bottled up in sixth place behind dicing front runners until lap 5. Spencer was second on lap 7 and had to battle pole starter Danny Sheridan through lap 15.
Then a rare occurrence gave Mike the lead without passing anyone. Leader Sheridan (No. 73 Ford Bros.) had his throttle stick open as he exited vermont inns turn four under caution. As his car sped rapidly down the front straight, Danny threw it into a long spin in mid-track, vermont inns almost rolled, and backed to a stop with the LR tire against the outer crash-wall near the first turn. He walked to the pits with his car was sidelined for the night. Spencer led the final 15 laps under green to the checkers. He had a full straightaway lead at the finish and lapped up to tenth position. He opened a solid 88 point lead in what he hopes will be his record fifth consecutive USAC-CRA driving championship. Jimmy Oskie's five championships in the original CRA came in 1969-74-76-77-79.
The July 28 PAS race was the annual California Racers Hall of Fame Classic vermont inns that saluted past CRA personalities and brought out a larger than normal size crowd on a balmy, shirt-sleeve evening . It was 93 degrees vermont inns when qualifying started at 5:50 pm and still 71 degrees vermont inns when racing concluded at 10:37 pm. Additional bonus money contributed by firms and individuals added to the normal USAC-CRA purse that paid the main event winner $2,500. Spencer also earned the $500 from the late Billy Wilkerson's family in honor of the two-time CRA driving champion (1967-70) for posting the quickest qualifying time. He earned more cash for his trophy dash participation, giving him his most lucrative vermont inns payday this season.
Many sponsors, including families (Agajanian, Wilkerson, Walt James) and companies contributed money in honor of CRA personalities or racing products manufacturers such as Ted Halibrand. Bonus money was contributed in memory of persons they wanted to remember/honor. Dean Thompson Award sponsors were Linda Halibrand, Steve Stroud and Nancy O'Toole. Sponsors also designated extra money to leaders of main event laps to salute drivers or owners by their car numbers. Lap 3 was for Rip Williams, L 15 for Don Blair, 19 for past car owner Danny Pivovaroff, and L 25 for Ted Halibrand. Long-time Ascot and Perris pit announcer Chris Holt deserves credit for his tireless efforts over the past months in organizing the additional $5,000+ bonus cash and prizes for 2012 competitors. One of the prizes vermont inns donated vermont inns was the feature vermont inns trophy from a 1977 CRA race at Don Basile's Speedway 117 in Chula Vista, south of San Diego.
The California Racers Hall of Fame Classic vermont inns Walt James Last Man Standing Dash (LMSD) format lined up the four fastest qualifiers in reverse order for a nine-lap vermont inns trophy dash. Row one had Austin Williams and Rickie Gaunt, with Nic Faas and Spencer in the back row. Prize money was $1,000, $600, $300 and $200 for the four drivers. Runs were four laps with the fourth place driver eliminated, three laps with the P. 3 driver sidelined, and then two laps for the last two remaining participants. The first leg finished Gaunt, Williams, vermont inns Spencer and Faas. Then Gaunt and Williams started from row one with Spencer behind them. Williams led all three laps over Gaunt, vermont inns sending Spencer to the pits. A five-minute intermission followed for car prep and "graybeard" Gaunt, 43, drank bottled water to race his 21-year old rival. The final two laps for the $1,000 top award had Williams inside and Gaunt alongside. Gaunt led both laps to win the 9-lap dash over Williams. "This will buy some shoes," vermont inns he quipped over the PA system. Gaunt told the crowd, "We're ( Dave Miller No. 66 team) a low budget team and this bonus money means the world to us. This motor was hurt after the last main event (July 4). It needed rod and main bearings."
The three Agajanian brothers (Cary, Jay and Chris) contributed $98. each in an envelope for a blind draw by the trophy dash winner with all the Agajanian bonus money going to whichever trophy dash finishing position was drawn. The 98 from each Agajanian was in honor of the car number made famous by their late father, J. C. "Aggie", who passed away in 1984, was a long-time open-wheel car owner and racing vermont inns promoter, or as he preferred--race organizer. Agajanian 98 cars won the Indianapolis 500 in 1952 and 1963 and again in 2011 as co-entrant of the late Dan Wheldon's No. 98. Dash winner Gaunt drew the envelope containing P. 3, so Spencer received that bonus $294. as well, adding to his haul of hardware and cash. Past LMSD winners in 2011 were Faas (Santa Maria 6/18) and PAS (7/30) and Spencer (8/13). ... Other special monetary awards went to main event finishers who were the hard chargers. John Aden (St. 15 – Fin. 11) and Corey Ballard (St. 16 – Fin 12) both gained four positions. Ballard received the Pratt award $400. Other fans donated $100 each to the bottom six main event drivers in the final order.
vermont inns The WRA vintage vermont inns race car group brought eight vintage race cars (three sprint cars and five midgets) to PAS. The cars were on display vermont inns inside the front entrance as fans arrived. Prior to the main event they all lined up in rows of two and ran a "demo race" for fans. The vintage cars used the front and back-straights as did USAC-CRA cars and the inside quarter-mile turns for the four corners. The No. 5 sprint car edged the No. 55 sprinter in a close contest. Bill Gerard, 89-year old restorer/owner of the No. 777 Miller sprint car, drove in the 6-lap event; he must qualify as the world's oldest person vermont inns to drive a race car in an event. vermont inns Gerard held an American flag as he drove his vintage 777 car around the track slowly during the National Anthem.
vermont inns The PAS $5.00 race program had numerous color photos of CRA sprint cars from past decades and tributes to past CRA drivers. Two-page center section color photos saluted long-time CRA car owner Don Blair and Blair's Speed Shop in Pasadena. vermont inns Don's No. 1 1974 CRA championship sprint car with Jimmy Oskie as driver was shown prominently. Also shown was Don's No. 1 sprinter on the cover of Hot Rod magazine. The center spread also showed three of Don's earlier race cars and a photo of Don as a young man. Don was a frequent spectator in the grandstand at PAS since it opened in 1996. He died last September, one day short of his 90th birthday. The program cover showed a color photo of late NSCHoF inductee and two-time CRA champion (1967 70) Billy Wilkerson in the black No. 2 Ernie Duncan Chevy. A 5 X 7" color photo of two-time (1983-84) CRA champion Bubby Jones in the No. 2 Kazarian Gas Chem Chevy also graced the program on page 7. Photos of four-time CRA mechanic of the year Ray Scheetz and USAC midget car owner/driver Don Weaver, 82, were in the program also as honorees on PAS Hall of Fame Classic Night. Other program photos saluted three-time (1980-82) vermont inns CRA driving champion Dean Thompson, car owners Bill Evelyn Pratt, Jack Wilda Kindoll, Bruce Bromme, vermont inns Sr and the late 21-years (through 1970) CRA president Walt James.
Past CRA drivers present Saturday at PAS included: past CRA champ Oskie, 65, Mike Sweeney, 54, Steve Howard, 58, John Redican, 67, Alex Grigoreas, Don Melton, 80 (now living vermont inns in Redlands), and 1977 CRA rookie of the year Kenny Gidney, 65, (now living in Missouri for a decade and driving a tanker). vermont inns Parnelli Jones' second son Page, 40, was present as well. Current USAC-CRA driver Brody Roa, 21-year old son of ex-CRA driver Brett Roa, is teaching Page's son how to drive a go-kart. Could there be a third generation racer in the Jones family? ... Three of the top ten drivers in 2012 USAC-CRA points were not present July 28. P. 4 Matt Mitchell had a lingering vision problem after his Indiana Sprint Week six-barrel rolls on the front chute at Terre Haute on July 18. Matt ran over the wheel of an out of shape car in the third heat, launching him into a series of violent rolls that SPEED TV shows aired. vermont inns ... Long-time sprint car pit steward Evelyn Pratt celebrated her 93rd birthday July 24 and has continued her convalescence near her El Monte home. She last performed her PAS pit duties in April and has missed vermont inns three PAS sprint car events.
SENIOR SPRINTS (360 cu. in.): The always fan-pleasing vermont inns PAS Senior Sprint drivers (age 45+) ran one 8-lap heat race and a 20-lap main event. It followed the 22-car winged CLS 25-minute feature reduced by six laps by one red and four yellow flags. Steve Limon, the 2011 CLS rookie of the year, won his first CLS feature with nine drivers on the track. With nine senior sprinters present, eight started the heat, won by Victor Davis. He started fifth and led laps 2-8 and won by a straight-away. All eight seniors started the feature and thrilled the crowd in a nine-minute contest with one caution. The feature vermont inns had four lead changes among three drivers. Bill Badger started fourth and led the first two laps. Wiley Miller vermont inns started third and paced laps 3-6. Then fifth starter Bruce Douglass, who passed Badger for P. 2 on lap 4, took charge for good on lap 7 with an inside pass through vermont inns the third and fourth turns. After an Eric Rickard spin on lap 8, the leaders battled closely to the finish with Douglass inside and Miller outside. Davis came from sixth to take second from Miller on lap 14 via an inside pass in the second corner. Davis challenged his long-time friend Douglass for the lead from laps 16-20
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