USAC/CRA SPRINTS AT VENTURA SATURDAY;

GARDNER GETS CRA #59 AT PERRIS

Defending AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Champion Damion Gardner of Concord, Calif. enters this Saturday night’s race at Ventura (Calif.) Raceway as the 2015 point leader and he’ll try to repeat a victory he scored at Ventura last year.

Gardner recorded his 59th series win Saturday night at Perris (Calif.) Auto Speedway. He passed Mike Spencer on lap 12 and led the rest of the way in his Mark Alexander Scott Sales Company/J & D Performance Spike and led the rest of the way to beat Richard Vander Weerd, Spencer, Austin Williams and Jake Swanson. David Bezio led lap one and Spencer 2-11.

Ventura has been one of USAC’s staples for Western participants and Saturday’s race will witness a continuing battle for the series point lead. Five-time champion Spencer trails Gardner by 11 points while 2014 USAC West Coast Sprint Car Champion Matt Mitchell ranks third in the latest points.

Like Gardner, Vander Weerd has a pair of 2015 USAC/CRA wins and although sixth in the current standings, he could be among top threats for victory Saturday.