|
|
|
|
USAC/CRA
SPRINT CARS 70th SALUTE TO INDY AT PERRIS AUTO
SPEEDWAY THIS SATURDAY
By
Scott Daloisio
(Perris, CA,
May 17, 2021) This Saturday night, May
22nd, Perris Auto Speedway will host one of the
nation’s oldest sprint car races when the 70th
running of the Salute to Indy returns after a year
in hiatus due to the COVID crisis. Headlining the
racing card on the famous Riverside County
half-mile clay oval will be the popular 410 cubic
inch Amsoil USAC/CRA Sprint Cars. The PAS Senior
Sprints will also be in action. Spectator gates
will open at 5:00 P.M. with racing at 7:00. Due to
COVID mandates, tickets must be purchased online
at the following link
https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7/event/1219096.
There will be no walk-up ticket sales for this
race.
Damion Gardner will be
going for a record-tying fifth victory in
Saturday's Salute to Indy. Mike Grosswendt Photo.
The “Salute to Indy,”
which is a tip of the hat to the Indianapolis 500,
dates back to 1948 when Dempsey Wilson captured
the inaugural running of the now prestigious
event. From 1948 through 1990, the race was
contested in all but five years. After legendary
Ascot Park closed in 1990, it was put on ice until
The PAS hosted it in 1996. Since its rebirth in
the Inland Empire, the famed race has taken place
each year with the exception of 2008 when it was
canceled by rain, and 2020 when it was wiped out
by COVID.
While this weekend’s
affair comes 73-years after the race was initially
held, it will be the 70th running. You may be
wondering how that can be as the race did not take
place 12-times since its introduction. The answer
is a simple one. Some years in the 1970s and
1980s, Ascot held multiple races over Memorial Day
weekend and each race was called the Salute to
Indy. In 1971, 1978, 1981, 1982 and 1983, there
was two Salute to Indy races. In 1980, three
editions of the race took place on the revered
grounds located at 190th and Vermont in Gardena,
California.
Over the years,
National Sprint Car Hall of Famers Dean Thompson
and Bubby Jones recorded the most Salute to Indy
wins with five victories each. However, all of
Thompson’s wins came in years when the race was
held multiple times. In addition, three of Jones
five triumphs took place when the race was held
more than one time per year.
Only two drivers have
won the race four times. One is National Sprint
Car Hall of Famer Billy Wilkerson and the other is
eight-time USAC/CRA Sprint Car champion Damion
Gardner of Concord, California. Unlike Thompson
and Jones, Wilkerson and Gardner’s triumphs all
came when the race was only run one time per year.
Wilkerson’s victories came at Ascot in 1968, 69,’
72’ and 73.’ Gardner’s triumphs came in 2003, 04,’
14,’ and 17’ and all were at The PAS. A win on
Saturday by Gardner would tie him with Thompson
and Jones for the most wins in Salute to Indy
history. In addition, if Gardner wins on Saturday,
it will be his 98th victory in combined SCRA, and
USAC/CRA competition. That would tie him with
racing great Cory Kruseman. In the all-time
history of the original CRA, SCRA and the Current
USAC/CRA dating back to 1946, only Thompson with
105 wins, and Rip Williams with 104, have more
victories than Kruseman and Gardner.
“Had Damion Gardner
not spent six years racing with the USAC National
Series in the Midwest, he probably would have more
wins than any other driver in the Salute to Indy,”
PAS promoter Don Kazarian said. “He will have a
lot of extra incentives to win on Saturday. In
addition to tying for the lead in all-time wins
for the Salute, and tying Cory Kruseman for third
on the all-time West Coast victory list, he also
has new sponsor Performance Online on board. He
wants to get a first win for them.”
In addition to
Gardner, two other past winners of the Salute to
Indy will be in action on Saturday. One is Yorba
Linda’s Matt Mitchell and the other is “The Big
Game Hunter,” Austin Williams, of Corona. Mitchell
sipped the traditional chocolate milk that PAS
winners get at the Salute to Indy, in 2011 and
2013. Williams did likewise when he crossed the
finish line first in 2016 and 2018.
Saturday will be the
24th edition of the Salute to Indy at The PAS. As
mentioned earlier, it was not held in 2008 due to
rain, and in 2020 when COVID intervened. Other
years in the race’s history that it did not take
place were 1950, 1951, 1960, 1965, 1970, 1991,
1992, 1993, 1994, and 1995.
Saturday’s show will
include qualifying, 10-lap heat races, a 12-lap B
Main event and a 30-lap A Main for the USAC/CRA
drivers. The Senior Sprint Cars, for drivers
40-years-old and over, will contest an eight-lap
heat race and a 20-lap main event.
COVID rules will still
be intact on Saturday. In addition to no walk-up
ticket sales, all fans will have to wear face
coverings and distance from others not in their
group in the grandstands. PAS concessions will
only be available via the “FanFood” app. The app
is a free download from the App Store. Fans will
order and pay for their food order from their
seats. When the order is ready, they will receive
a text to pick up the order at the designated
station nearest where they are sitting in the
grandstands.
Online tickets for
2021 Perris Auto Speedway races are on sale at
https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7. Fans will
be able to purchase tickets online at the above
tix link up until 7:00 p.m. each race night. The
entire 2021 schedule is available at the bottom of
this release.
Fans can stay up to
date on track and driver news on The PAS social
media efforts at the links below.
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Perris-Auto-Speedway/113876798686480?ref=hl
Twitter: Perris Auto
Speedway on Twitter.
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/perrisautospeedway/
Website:
http://perrisautospeedway.com/
Perris Auto Speedway
is conveniently located on the SoCal Fair and
Event Center (home of October’s Southern
California Fair), approximately one-hour east of
Los Angeles and one-hour North of San Diego. To
get to the track, take the 215 freeway, on the
Ramona Expressway and go three miles east to the
fairgrounds. For directions on MapQuest, the
address to enter is: 18700 Lake Perris Drive and
the zip code is 92571.
Perris Auto Speedway
wants to thank the following corporate partners.
Ahern Equipment Rentals, All Coast Construction,
Anderson Chevrolet, Battery Systems, Budweiser,
Bud’s Tire Pro, Chris’ Hauling, City of Perris,
Communication Innovations, Daytona Boat & RV
Storage, Ed Moore Bullet Proof Driveshaft,
Flowdynamics, HD Industries, Hoosier Tires, Inland
Rigging, Living Water’s Hospice, LKQ Pick Your
Part, Luke’s Transmission, Moose Racing,
Pepsi-Cola, Pole Position, PrintItNow.com, Rainbow
Bolt & Supply, Rugged Radios, Shaver Specialties,
Square H, Sunoco Race Fuels, Trench Shoring,
Upland Rock, Varner Construction and Vista Paint.
Video and DVD
productions of all racing sprint cars events at
Perris Auto Speedway are available from Loudpedal
Productions. For more information on these
productions you can contact them by calling (805)
844-3854, E-mailing mailto:trtruex@gmail.com or
you can visit the website LoudPedal Productions.
DVDs of all the
PASSCAR/IMCA racing and Nights of Destruction at
The PAS are available from Fourvideos. For more
information call (714) 225-9500.
mailto:perrisautospeedway1@gmail.com is the only
authorized Internet address to issue official
media news released from The Perris Auto Speedway
or Oval Entertainment.
2021 EVENT SCHEDULE
May 22nd "SALUTE TO
INDY" AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS Senior
Sprints
June 5th LKQ Pick Your
Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION IV - Demo
Cross, Figure 8's, Trailer Figure 8's, Mini Stocks
and Double Deckers
June 12th PASSCAR
SERIES - Super Stocks, Street Stocks, American
Factory Stocks and IMCA Modifieds
June 19th AMSOIL
USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS Senior Sprints
June 26th PASSCAR
SERIES - Super Stocks, Street Stocks, American
Factory Stocks and IMCA Modifieds
July 4th FIREWORKS
SPECTACULAR LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF
DESTRUCTION V - Demo Cross, Figure 8's, Trailer
Figure 8's, Mini Stocks and Double Deckers
July 10th PASSCAR
SERIES - Super Stocks, Street Stocks, American
Factory Stocks and IMCA Modifieds
July 16th “SUMMER
CAMPFEST” AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS Senior
Sprints and RUSH Western Sprint Car Series
July 17th “SUMMER
CAMPFEST” AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS Senior
Sprints and RUSH Western Sprint Car Series
July 24th PASSCAR
SERIES - Super Stocks, Street Stocks, American
Factory Stocks and IMCA Modifieds
July 31st LKQ Pick
Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION VI - Demo
Cross, Figure 8's, Trailer Figure 8's, Mini Stocks
and Double Deckers
August 14th PASSCAR
SERIES - Super Stocks, Street Stocks, American
Factory Stocks and IMCA Modifieds
August 21st CALIFORNIA
RACERS HALL OF FAME NIGHT" AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT
CARS, PAS Senior Sprints and RUSH Western Sprint
Car Series
August 28th LKQ Pick
Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION VII – Demo
Cross, Figure 8's, Trailer Figure 8's, Mini Stocks
and Double Deckers
September 4th “SUMMER
CAMPFEST II” PASSCAR SERIES - Super Stocks, Street
Stocks, American Factory Stocks, IMCA Modifieds
and RUSH Western Sprint Car Series
September 5th “SUMMER
CAMPFEST II” PASSCAR SERIES - Super Stocks, Street
Stocks, American Factory Stocks, IMCA Modifieds
and RUSH Western Sprint Car Series
September 11th LKQ
Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION VIII
- Demo Cross, Figure 8's, Trailer Figure 8's, Mini
Stocks and Double Deckers
September 18th PASSCAR
SERIES - Super Stocks, Street Stocks, American
Factory Stocks and IMCA Modifieds
September 25th "GLENN
HOWARD CLASSIC" AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS
Senior Sprints, and RUSH Western Sprint Car Series
October 16th PASSCAR
SERIES – “FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT” Super Stocks,
Street Stocks, American Factory Stocks and IMCA
Modifieds
October 23rd AMSOIL
USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS Senior Sprints, and RUSH
Western Sprint Car Series
October 30th LKQ Pick
Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION VIIII -
Demo Cross, Figure 8's, Trailer Figure 8's, Mini
Stocks and Double Deckers
November 3rd 25TH
ANNUAL OVAL NATIONALS Presented by ALL COAST
CONSTRUCTION - Practice Night
November 4th 25TH
ANNUAL OVAL NATIONALS Presented by ALL COAST
CONSTRUCTION AMSOIL USAC National and USAC/CRA
Sprint Cars
November 5th 25TH
ANNUAL OVAL NATIONALS Presented by ALL COAST
CONSTRUCTION AMSOIL USAC National and USAC/CRA
Sprint Cars
November 6th 25TH
ANNUAL OVAL NATIONALS Presented by ALL COAST
CONSTRUCTION AMSOIL USAC National and USAC/CRA
Sprint Cars
November 13th PASSCAR
“CHAMPION’S NIGHT” - Super Stocks, Street Stocks,
American Factory Stocks, IMCA Modifieds and RUSH
Western Sprint Car Series
NOTE: SCHEDULE IS
SUBJECT TO CHANGE DUE COVID 19 LEVELS AND
MODIFICATIONS REQUIRED REOPENING. |
|
|
|
|
|
|