The 29th season of racing at Perris Auto Speedway will hit the home stretch when the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series returns to the famous Riverside County half-mile clay oval on September 21st. For fans of LKQ Pick Your Part Night of Destruction, the event that was postponed last Saturday due to the scorching heat has been rescheduled for Saturday night, October 5th.
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RJ Johnson is only seven-points behind Tommy Malcolm heading into the September 21st race at The PAS.
Anthony Hernandez photo.
The USAC/CRA Series has had one of the best championship chases in its 20-season history. Just when it appeared that Yucaipa, California’s Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm began to ease away from the competition, Laveen, Arizona’s RJ Johnson closed the gap dramatically when he won his second main event of the season last Saturday night at the Santa Maria Speedway.
That victory, which was Johnson’s second of the 2024 campaign, allowed him to close to within seven points of Malcolm heading into the race on the 21st at The PAS. All told, nine different drivers have posted wins in the first 14 races of the year. Only three drivers, Malcolm, Johnson, and Yorba Linda, California’s Matt Mitchell, have more than one victory. Malcolm leads the way with four, and Johnson and Mitchell have two apiece.
Malcolm and Mitchell have two wins each in the season’s first seven races at Perris. David Gasper of Goleta, California, San Diego’s AJ Bender, and “The Cadillac” Cody Williams each have one win.
“The racing has been great all season long in USAC/CRA,” Perris promoter Don Kazarian enthused. “Lots of different winners on the circuit and great battles in the point standings. Not only the fight for the lead but all the way back to seventh or eighth. The positions keep changing.”
The stars and cars of USAC/CRA will be joined by the GAS Chassis Young Gun Sprints, PAS Senior Sprints, and the PASSCAR Super Stocks, and American Factory Stocks on the 21st.
The Night of Destruction slated for last Saturday night at The PAS was postponed until October 5th due to the scorching temperatures. On top of the intense heat, a surprise thunderstorm, festooned with thunder, lightning, and hail, pounded the track late in the afternoon.
“I never thought I would have to cancel a race because of the heat,” Kazarian said. “As it turned out, even if we had not canceled because of the heat, we would have had to throw in the towel when the unexpected thunderstorm hit the track on Saturday.
Adult tickets for the next battle in the season-long USAC/CRA war on September 21st are $30.00. For seniors 65 and over, it is $25.00. Kids ages 6 to 12 get in for only $5.00, and children five and under are admitted free. The fairgrounds charge $10 for parking.
Tickets for the October 5th Night of Destruction presented by LKQ Pick Your Part are $20.00 for those 13 years of age and older. For kids six to 12, it is only $5.00, and children five and under are admitted free. The fairgrounds charge $10.00 for parking.
Advance tickets for all Perris Auto Speedway shows are available 24 hours a day online at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/pas/7 or by calling 1-800-595-4849. Plenty of tickets will be available at the ticket window every race night for fans who do not wish to purchase in advance.
The PAS is conveniently located on the freeway close Lake Perris Fairgrounds, home of the Southern California Fair, in nearby Riverside County. Take the 215 freeway. Exit at the Ramona Expressway and go three miles east to the fairgrounds. For directions online, the address to enter is 18700 Lake Perris Drive, and the zip code is 92571.
To keep up with everything happening at The PAS, please visit the track’s social media efforts on Facebook and Instagram and visit the website at perrisautospeedway.com.
2024 Perris Auto Speedway Schedule
September 21st AVANTI USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS Senior Sprints, GAS CHASSIS YOUNG GUNS SERIES AND PASSCAR SUPER AND FACTORY STOCKS
October 5th LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION: DEMO CROSS, FIGURE 8’S, TRAILER FIGURE 8’S, MINI STOCKS AND DOUBLE DECKERS
October 26th LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION: DEMO CROSS, FIGURE 8’S, TRAILER FIGURE 8’S, MINI STOCKS AND DOUBLE DECKERS
November 8th 27TH RUNNING OF THE OVAL NATIONALS Featuring AVANTI USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS SENIOR SPRINTS, GAS CHASSIS YOUNG GUN SERIES AND PASSCAR SUPER, STREET AND FACTORY STOCKS
November 9th 27TH RUNNING OF THE OVAL NATIONALS Featuring AVANTI USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS SENIOR SPRINTS, GAS CHASSIS YOUNG GUN SERIES – JERRY DODD CHAMPIONS NIGHT, PASSCAR SUPER, STREET AND FACTORY STOCKS
THIS SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
PAS PR
- Jayden Harman cruises to career first Tour Type Modified win Sunday at Evergreen Raceway: Nick Ross best in Late Models - October 7, 2024
- Trevino, Pahule, and Stepps Family Earn 2024 Delta Speedway Championships - October 7, 2024
- Johnson Jr. Clinched Rookie of the Year Title at All-American Speedway - October 6, 2024