USAC

CRA: Manzanita wrapup, Perris preview

KIRBY, GAUNT TAKE "SOKOLA" FEATURES AT MANZY CRA SPRINT CARS RETURN TO THE PAS SATURDAY Mike Kirby of Torrance, Calif. led the final eight laps of Saturday night's 5th "Sokola Classic" Valvoline USAC/CRA Sprint Car race at Manzanita Speedway in ...

Edited: Mar 23, 2005, 5:32 AM

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KIRBY, GAUNT TAKE "SOKOLA" FEATURES AT MANZY
CRA SPRINT CARS RETURN TO THE PAS SATURDAY

Mike Kirby of Torrance, Calif. led the final eight laps of Saturday night's 5th "Sokola Classic" Valvoline USAC/CRA Sprint Car race at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix, Ariz. The victory boosted him to third in the new series standings going into this Saturday night's race at Perris (Calif.) Auto Speedway.

Kirby and his La Villa Restaurant/Agromin Stinger/RC Performance machine were trailed at the checkered flag by Rickie Gaunt, Rip Williams, Jeremy Sherman and Charles Davis, Jr. Davis, the series point leader, led the first seven laps of the 40-lap race before teammate Gaunt took over. Gaunt, who won Friday night's 20-lap prelim at the 1/2-mile dirt track, led the next 25 laps before yielding to Kirby.

"When I went to the top, things just worked for me as I got by Jeremy and then Rickie," said Kirby in victory lane. "Sometimes traffic hurts you and sometimes it helps."

Gaunt, also of Torrance, Calif., who scored his initial Valvoline USAC/CRA Sprint car feature win last November, notched his second Friday night, passing defending series champion Rip Williams on the second lap and leading the rest of the way in his Smiley's Crane Service/Extreme Chassis Chargin/Extreme. Williams finished second ahead of Davis, Josh Ford and Jesse Hockett.

"It's so much fun racing with him," Gaunt remarked in victory lane about his battle with Williams. "We may not have been the fastest out there tonight."

Friday's fastest qualifier, Damion Gardner, failed to finish the 20-lapper after a wall-banging incident but came back to finish eighth Saturday. Seth Wilson surprised Saturday's field with the night's fastest qualifying time.

VALVOLINE USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES STANDINGS
1.-Charles Davis, Jr.-335
2.-Rip Williams-333
3.-Mike Kirby-289
4.-Damion Gardner-288
5.-Cory Kruseman-277
6.-Rickie Gaunt-235
7.-Josh Ford-208
8.-Seth Wilson-179
9.-Alan Ballard-173
10.-Josh Wise-169

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