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USAC/CRA Sprints Resume April 16 at Perris; Clauson Wins "Sokola Shootout"

The USAC/CRA AMSOIL Sprint Car Series resumes with the “So-Cal Showdown” April 16 at Perris (Calif.) Auto Speedway.

Damion Gardner and Mike Spencer, winners of the past eight USAC/CRA titles, will continue their all-time battle for victories and feature laps led when the series returns to the half-mile dirt oval. It’ll mark the 181st appearance of the USAC/CRA series at The PAS. Gardner owns 37 wins and Spencer 25. Gardner won five Perris races last year and has led 49 career races there. Spencer, who has led 45 races there, has not won at Perris since 2013.

Neither driver had the best of luck in last Saturday night’s “Sokola Classic” 2016 USAC/CRA opener won by Bryan Clauson at Perris. Spencer managed a fifth-place finish while Gardner, who was unable to post a qualifying time, took 23rd and last place in the feature.

Clauson, of Noblesville, Ind., completed a “sweep” of USAC Sprint car victories last week, also winning Friday night’s FVP “Sin City Showdown” at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway. Wheeling the Mike Martin-owned Cancer Treatment Centers of America/Jonathan Byrd’s Racing machine, Clauson passed Richard Vander Weerd on lap 13 and proceeded to lead the final 18 laps to beat Vander Weerd, Brody Roa, Josh Hodges and Spencer.

With the win, Clauson also set a new USAC record by earning his 6th USAC feature victory through the first 10 USAC-sanctioned races of the season. In fact, he broke his own record of winning five of the first 10 USAC-sanctioned races in 2013. Only two other drivers have even won four of the first 10 USAC races in a season: Damion Gardner in 2010 and Gary Bettenhausen in 1972. Clauson currently sits atop the USAC/CRA standings entering the April 16 race at Perris.

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