Garden Grove, California’s Brody Roa will be shooting for his ninth win in 14 starts and his fourth in a row when the USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series visits Perris Auto Speedway for Saturday’s annual Glenn Howard Classic. The race comes one week after Roa’s car owner and teammate Tommy Dunkel finished eighth in last Saturday’s USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series race at Jim Naylor’s Ventura Raceway
Roa’s dream season carries on two weeks after his impressive runs in the USAC National Sprint Car Series in Texas and Arkansas. At the Thursday night show at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas, he started 14th in the main event and finished sixth. Two nights later at the Texarkana 67 Speedway in Arkansas, he was the sixth-fastest qualifier in the 31-car field and placed 14th in the main event.
Roa, who became a dad for the second time when daughter Rylee was born two months ago, carries a bulging 840 point lead in the championship standings going into tomorrow night’s race on the Riverside County half-mile clay oval. The winner of eight of the season’s first 13 races in the Inland Rigging #17R, Roa started his 2023 domination of the series when he swept both ends of the season-opening weekend at the Cocopah Speedway at the end of January. Since then he has only gone two races without a win twice this season. Of the four other drivers who have won USAC/CRA races this year, only one has been victorious more than one time.
Saturday’s race will be the sixth of the year for USAC/CRA at The PAS. In the previous four, Roa has two wins, a second place, a fifth, and a 15th. The 15th came at the Salute to Indy in May. Roa was leading that one late in the going when he was clobbered by another driver and knocked out of the race.
Murrieta, California’s Dunkel returned to action at last week’s USAC West Coast Series race at Ventura. Twenty-one cars showed up for the event and Dunkel, in his super clean #17A, qualified 11th fastest with a time of 12.631. Soon after, the friendly driver placed fourth in his 10 lap heat. In the main event, he started outside the sixth row in 12th in the 20-car field. As usual, he moved forward and finished eighth. Despite the fact that he has only started three of the West Coast races this season, Dunkel is up to 18th in the championship point standings
It was Dunkel’s third USAC West Coast race of the 2023 season and his best finish. All told between the USAC West Coast Series and the Ventura Racing Association in 2023, he has made five starts at Ventura. He has four top 10s and three top two finishes including a win in the April 8th VRA race.
Dunkel initially planned on contesting Saturday’s USAC/CRA event at Perris. However, he plans on competing for the USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year award in 2024. Drivers are eligible if they have qualified for four or fewer main events in the series. Presently Dunkel has been in three. So, he is sitting this weekend’s race out but will return to USAC/CRA action at the Western World Championships at Arizona’s Cocopah Speedway on the first weekend in November. His next start in the USAC/West Coast Series will be at Bakersfield’s Kern County Raceway Park on October 7th.
Fans who wish to see Roa in action this Saturday night in the Glen Howard Classic can find Perris Auto Speedway on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds at 18700 Lake Perris Drive in Perris. Spectator gates will open at 5:00 PM, and the first race will begin at seven. Adult tickets are $30.00. For seniors 65 and over it is $25.00. Kids 6 to 12 get in for just $5.00 and children five and under are admitted free. The fairgrounds charge $10.00 for parking. Advance tickets are available up until 7:00 PM Saturday night. Interested fans can purchase those advance tickets online at tix.com or by calling 1-800-595-4849. For those who do not wish to buy advance tickets, there will be plenty available for everyone at the ticket window on Saturday.
Fans can pick up a 2023 Inland Rigging Racing Team shirt from the crew after the races or online brodyroa.com.
As always, Brody Roa would be more than happy to jump in a race car on his weekends off from the #17R. His entire schedule is printed below. If anybody wishes to contact him about open dates, they can do so at 714-932-7994 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The team wants to thank the following sponsors for making the 2023 season possible. Inland Rigging, Dunkel Farms, United Asset Sales, Osborne Speed & Machine, “Biker” Bruce Fischer, ALR Virtual Services, Burris Racing, Caltrol, Jambo Barbeque Pits, Competition Suspension, K-1 Race Gear, Molecule, Rod End Supply, Driven Racing Oil, Baldwin Filters, and NGK Spark Plugs.
Brody Roa PR
