CRA: Perris post-race notes

GARDNER SETS PERRIS RECORD, EYES BAKERSFIELD SATURDAY

Damion "The Demon" Gardner of Concord, Calif. scored his 10th career Valvoline USAC/CRA Sprint Car feature victory Saturday night atr Perris (Calif.) Auto Speedway and will try to win his third straight race this Saturday night when the series returns to Bakersfield (Calif.) Speedway.

Gardner finished third behind Cory Kruseman and Bud Kaeding last October and hopes to improved his fourth-place series ranking with a better finish this time. He trails series point leaders Mike Kirby, Charles Davis, Jr. and Rip Williams by 26, 20 and one point respectively. A 30-lap feature caps Saturday's race at Bakersfield

Repeating his February 5 victory at the 1/2-mile dirt Perris oval, the 2004 series runner-up led the final 19 laps in his Temecula Valley Pipe & Supply/Arizona Race Mart John Boy/Shaver after passing Danny Sheridan on lap 12. Troy Rutherford led the first lap and Sheridan led the next 10 before yielding to Gardner, who established a new 30-lap Perris track record of eight minutes, 39.11 seconds.

Steve Ostling finished second, ahead of Kirby, Sheridan and Charles Davis, Jr.

Gardner, the night's fastest qualifier, said in victory lane: "The car was just awesome tonight!"

VALVOLINE USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES STANDINGS
1.-Mike Kirby-170
2.-Charles Davis, Jr.-164
3.-Rip Williams-145
4.-Damion Gardner-144
5.-Cory Kruseman-129
6.-Steve Ostling-109
7.-Rick Williams-103
8.-Mike Spencer-97
9.-Tony Jones-86
10.-Seth Wilson-84

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