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MAY 16, 2005...Defending Valvoline USAC/CRA Sprint
Car Champion Rip Williams
of Yorba Linda, Calif. and four challengers are gearing up for this Saturday
night's race at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix, Ariz. A total of 67 points
separate the top five in the series standings going into the race on the
1/2-mile dirt oval.
One of
the five is Damion Gardner of Concord, Calif., who became the first driver ever
to win three consecutive Valvoline USAC/CRA Sprint Car feature events, taking
Saturday night's 30-lapper at Perris (Calif.) Auto Speedway in the Temecula
Valley Pipe & Supply/Arizona Race Mart Eagle/Shaver. Gardner passed early
leader Charles Davis, Jr. on lap 22 and led the rest of the way to beat Cory
Kruseman, Davis, Mike Kirby and
Danny Sheridan. Williams finished sixth.
Mike
Kirby, third in the new standings, won the last CRA race at Manzanita, while
Rickie Gaunt, sixth in the points, also is a 2005 winner at Phoenix.
Manzanita is one track which has not yielded good results for Gardner this year.
In two starts, he's finished 21st and eighth, a flip forcing him to miss this
year's opening Manzanita feature.
VALVOLINE USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES STANDINGS
1.-Rip Williams-634
2.-Charles Davis, Jr.-598
3.-Mike Kirby-595
4.-Damion Gardner-593
5.-Cory Kruseman-567
6.-Rickie Gaunt-445
7.-Tony Jones-361
8.-Seth Wilson-337
9.-Mike Spencer-325
10.-Alan Ballard-323
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