HARKER GARDNER SETS RECORD 22 CRA FAST TIMES!


NOVEMBER 21, 2005

                 Damion Gardner of Concord, Calif. is the 2005 Earl’s Fast 
Qualifier Champion in the Valvoline USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series. That’s not 
surprising, though, since he posted the fastest qualifying time 22 times 
this season! That’s nine more than Tom Bigelow had in 1978 when he 
established the USAC National Sprint Car record! Gardner was Saturday 
night’s fastest qualifier in the CRA finale at Perris, Calif.

                 The 2005 Earl’s Championships conclude Thursday with the 
annual “Turkey Night Grand Prix” at Irwindale, Calif. The USAC National and 
Western Midget, Western Sprint Car and California Ford Focus Pavement 
Series are all involved at Irwindale.

                 Although Jerome Rodela and Alex Harris have locked up the 
Western Midget and California Pavement Focus Earl’s titles, the other two 
are still up for grabs. Michael Lewis leads Josh Wise and Jerry Coons Jr. 
by six points and Billy Wease by eight in the Western Midgets with nine 
points available Thursday. Tony Hunt leads Kody Swanson by two and Brian 
McClish by six in the Western Sprints.

                 Points are awarded at each USAC event based on an 
international system awarding the top-six qualifiers with points in the 
following scale: 1st-9, 2nd-6, 3rd-4, 4th-3, 5th-2, 6th-1. When qualifying 
is not held for Ford Focus events, points are awarded based on a system of 
lineup points earned in the preliminary heats.

                 Each USAC National, Western and Ford Focus Midget Car 
Earl’s Plumbing FQ Champion will be honored at USAC’s Champions Night 
ceremony in Indianapolis. The National and Western FQ champs will receive 
$5,000 each, while the Ford Focus FQ champs will each receive $1,000.

2005 Standings:

Weld Racing Silver Crown: 1-Josh Wise-38; 2-Dave Steele-31; 3-Bobby 
East-27; 4-Tracy Hines-24; 5-Dave Darland-18.

Valvoline National Sprint Car: 1-Levi Jones-93; 2-Jay Drake-58; 3-Dave 
Darland-45; 4-Bobby East-43; 5-Josh Wise-42.

National Midget Car: 1-Michael Lewis-33; 2-Josh Wise & Jerry Coons Jr.-27; 
4-Billy Wease-25; 5-Bobby East-21.

Valvoline Western Sprint Car: 1-Tony Hunt-44; 2-Kody Swanson-42; 3-Brian 
McClish-38; 4-Mike Murgoitio-34; 5-Tim Barber-27.

Western Midget Car: 1-Jerome Rodela-48; 2-Garrett Hansen-27; 3-Michael 
Lewis & Wally Pankratz-21; 5-Robby Flock-19.

Valvoline CRA Sprint Car: 1-Damion Gardner-240; 2-Rip Williams-72; 3-Cory 
Kruseman-69; 4-Charles Davis Jr.-66; 5-Rickie Gaunt-53.

Midwest Ford Focus: 1-Tate Martz-96; 2-Stephanie Mockler & James 
Robertson-47; 4-Derek Fisher-36; 5-Jordan Noblitt-25.

California Ford Focus: 1-Alex Harris-112; 2-Chase Barber-70; 3-Benny Moon & 
Chris Veach-62; 5-Robbie Whitchurch-61.

Carolina/Virginia Ford Focus: 1-Chase Scott-73; 2-Robbie Ray-44; 3-Aron 
Oakley-26; 4-Michael Sboro-25; 4-Mike Ward-22.

Oklahoma Ford Focus: 1-Jasiel Randolph-18; 2-Dustin Morgan-17; 3-Evan 
Sewell-16; 4-Leon Bacon-15; 5-Chett Gehrke-14.

Northeast Ford Focus: 1-Stephanie Stevens-37; 2-Nick Wean-36; 3-Jeff 
Abold-32; 4-Brit Andersen-25; 5-Ryan Smith-20.
HARKER GARDNER SETS RECORD ­ 22 CRA FAST TIMES!

HARKER GARDNER SETS RECORD 22 CRA FAST TIMES!
