Sprint Car racing veteran Brody Roa scored a historic win when he captured the inaugural Inland Rigging Ultimate Sprint Car Series main event last Saturday night at the Bakersfield Speedway. This Saturday, he will be in action in the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series at Perris Auto Speedway.
Photo courtesy of Lance Jennings/scrafan.com
At Bakersfield, Roa was reunited with car owner Jayson May for only the second time since the 2022 Turkey Night Grand Prix at Ventura. Their first time back together was at the USAC/CRA race at Arizona’s Mohave Valley Raceway on April 6. To say things did not go as planned at that event is an understatement. Going into turn three in qualifying, the steering wheel came off and Roa slammed hard into the tractor tires that protect the pit area. Roa was uninjured in the crash, but the car was heavily damaged and he was done for the night.
Last Saturday at Bakersfield, things were 180 degrees opposite of Mohave as before winning the main event, Roa led every inch of the way in a stacked 10-lap heat race. However, the team had an issue early on.
“To start the night we had an issue with the right rear shock,” Roa said. “It had a leak and leaked the nitrogen out of it. That set us back in hot laps and qualifying. So, we had to do some troubleshooting. We really did not get to work on the car setup-wise until the heat race. Luckily, we were good enough right off the bat so it did not take all that much.”
For the 30-lap main, the Garden Grove, California resident and his restricted 410 #8M started on the pole. After leading the opening lap on “The West’s Fastest 1/3 Mile High Banked Clay Oval,” Roa slipped back to second. As the race progressed, he lost a couple more spots. However, by lap nine he was headed back toward the front.
With just seven laps remaining in the race, Roa found himself in a familiar place. The lead!!! From that point on he was never headed and he raced under the Randy Schweitzer checkered flag with a 10-car length cushion between himself and the second-place car.
“It was really dicey in traffic,” Roa stated about the main event. “I did not think we were the best car in the feature and did not have the sheer speed like Brody Fuson had. He was really good on a clean racetrack, but he broke before we got to the lapped traffic. That traffic, they had the track covered. You really had to be smart in what direction you went. You had to watch way ahead because we were coming up on them pretty fast. With the track, how slick it was, if you missed it you lost a lot of miles an hour. That is the fun stuff. That is what I enjoy doing, the race craft part of it.”
“After all those years being so good at Bakersfield, we actually won there last year for the first time,” Roa laughed remembering a victory in his own #91R. “I think before that we went from one of the first two rows, to crash, to the work area and back to second. Probably five or six times. Hopefully the Bakersfield “Monkey” is off our back.”
“I was really comfortable,” Roa responded when asked how it felt to get back in May’s car for the first time since 2022. “It is like we did not skip a beat. We worked really well a couple of years ago when I drove for him. We never stopped talking. It was comforting getting back in his car. I know what kind of car it is and what kind of preparation he does on it. I had no hesitation jumping back in that thing.”
While Roa started driving May’s car about four years ago and has been a Perris regular since he started driving in the USAC/CRA Series, it will be his first time driving for May there. It will only be May’s second time at the track. The first time was a couple of years ago when Chase Johnson was steering the #8M for him.
Thus far in 2024, Roa, the 2023 USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series champion, has only made one start at The PAS. Driving for Arizona car owner Chris Bonneau on March 16th, Roa was on his way to victory late in the race when a flat tire sent him to the work area. He had to restart at the back and with just a few laps to work with, he drove back to fourth.
Spectator gates will open at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday and the first race will take the green flag at 7:00. Adult tickets for the night of exciting dirt track racing action and clean family fun are $30.00. Seniors 65 and over get in for $25.00. For kids 6-12 it is only $5.00, and children 5 and under are admitted free. Advance tickets are available online at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7. They can also be ordered by phone at 1-800-595-4849. For fans who do not wish to purchase tickets in advance, we will have plenty available at the ticket window on Saturday. The fairgrounds charge $10.00 for parking.
The May Motorsports entry is sponsored by Winfield’s Racing Engines, RDM Mechanics, Cooper’s Propane, TJM Distribution, TJM Distribution, Ten West Towing, Arctic Sea Mining, Wesco International, Elite Signs and Fastenal.
Roa would like to thank his own sponsors, “Biker” Bruce Fischer, ALR Virtual Services, Burris Racing, Caltrol, Competition Suspension, Simpson Race Gear, Rod End Supply, Driven Racing Oil, Baldwin Filters, and NGK Spark Plugs. If you would like to be a marketing partner in 2024, contact Roa using the information at the top of this release.
@roygamityanauctioneer @burris_racing_usa @mikeburrisoc @csishocks @theoriginalloosebruce @alrvirtualservices @simpsonracegear @moleculesports @rodendsupply @baldwinfilters @ngkracing @originalngksparkplugs @usacnation @usac_cra @perrisautospeedway @b_roa91 @tai_xoxo_roa @joegibb83, @caltrolinc @narc410 @drivenracingoil
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