After a break in the schedule, the Sands Chevrolet USAC Southwest Sprint Cars are ready to battle this Saturday (Sept.14) at Canyon Speedway Park.

The “Southwest Championships” will be the last visit of the year at the Peoria, Arizona oval. The event will also feature the Askrens Trucking / Flexi Flyer Sport Mods, Allscapes Stock Cars, Modlites, and non-winged Micro Sprints. 

Since 2013, Canyon Speedway Park has hosted sixty-eight Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Car events, and R.J. Johnson leads all drivers with 19 victories. In the four previous visits, New Mexico’s Josh Hodges, Missouri’s Hunter Schuerenberg, and California’s Brody Roa, and Arizona’s “The Magic Man” Mike Martin claimed victory at the 1/3-mile oval. “The Demon” Damion Gardner set the 1-lap track record of 13.469 on March 9th and the Peoria win list is at the end of this release.  

Entering the 11th point race, there have been 10 different winners. Gardner, Hodges, R.J. Johnson, C.J. Leary, Martin, Brody Roa, Schuerenberg, Logan Seavey, Jake Swanson, and Stevie Sussex have all claimed victory there.

Heading to Peoria, Brody Roa (Garden Grove, CA) holds a 32-point lead over the competition. Racing the BR Performance #91R HD Industries / Burris Racing Maxim, Roa led nine laps before scoring fourth at the August 17th California Racers Hall of Fame Night at Perris. To date, the 2016 USAC West Coast champion has one feature win, one Beaver Stripes Fast Time Award, four heat race victories, two Saldana Racing Products Hard Charger Awards, nine top-10 finishes, and 73 feature laps led on the season. 

Fresh off of running the USAC/CRA California Sprint Week, Roa will pilot Tanner Grau’s #34 Western Premier Hauling Maxim at CSP and will be looking to add a Southwest Championships title to his resume.

Johnson (Laveen, AZ) ranks second in the USAC South West point standings. He placed ninth in the California Racers Hall of Fame Night. The five-time champion has one feature win, four heat race victories, one Saldana Racing Products Hard Charger Award, nine top-10 finishes, and 26 feature laps led in the campaign. R.J. has 56 career South West victories as he sets his sights on another win at Canyon Speedway Park. 

Sussex (Tempe, AZ) is third in the chase for the USAC SouthWest championship. He charged from 12th to sixth at the Lake Perris Fairgrounds. To date, the 2017 USAC National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year has one feature win, two heat race victories, one Saldana Racing Products Hard Charger Award, nine top-10 finishes and 32 feature laps led to his credit. Sussex has 13 career South West victories and will be looking to win the Southwest Championships.

Returning from California Sprint Week, Charles Davis Jr. (Buckeye, AZ) sits fourth in the championship point chase. Davis finished 17th at Perris on August 17th. The defending champion has one Beaver Stripes Fast Time Award, five heat race victories, six top-10 finishes, and 11 feature laps led on the year. The 2018 South West Championships winner has 30 career South West triumphs and will have his sights on his first victory of the year.

After racing in California, “The Magic Man” Mike Martin (Yuma, AZ) ranks fifth in the South West point standings. Martin placed 16th at Perris Auto Speedway and, to date, the 2012 Hall of Fame Classic winner has one feature win, one heat race victory, one Saldana Racing Products Hard Charger Award, seven top-10 finishes, and 4 feature laps led in the campaign. The Magic Man has seven career South West wins and will be looking to earn a nice payday at Canyon Speedway Park.

Currently ranked 23rd in points, Ryan Cully (Alger, WA) leads the chase for Rookie of the Year honors. Stephen Sanchez (Flagstaff, AZ), Eddie Tafoya Jr. (Chino Hills, CA), and Jeff Dyer (Bermuda Dunes, CA) are also in contention. 

Among the other drivers expected to be in action are “The Real American” Matt Rossi, Matt Lundy, Michael Curtis, Chris Bonneau, Jonas Reynolds, Daylin Perreira, Justin Kierce and more.

Canyon Speedway Park is located at 9777 West Carefree Highway in Peoria, Arizona. To get to the track, take Lake Pleasant Parkway, then 1.3 miles west on Carefree Highway. Adult Tickets are $20, Seniors (60 and over) and Military Tickets are $15, and Children (11 and under) are FREE.

The Sands Chevrolet USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Series thanks AAA Car Buying, AMSOIL, Beaver Stripes, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Butlerbuilt Professional Seat Systems, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Hoosier Racing Tire, Pyrotect Racing Cells, Saldana Racing Products, Sway-A-Way Racing Technology, and Ultra Shield Race Products for their support. If you or your company would like to become part of the series, contact PR Director Lance Jennings at lwjennings@earthlink.net.

The Front Gates will open at 5:00pm and Racing is scheduled for 7:00pm. For more event and ticket information, visit canyonspeedwaypark.com or call 602.258.7223. For more information on the series, visit the United States Auto Club (USAC) website at usacracing.com and the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content at southwestsprintcars.com and the USAC SouthWest Sprint Car Facebook and Twitter pages. 

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SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR CHAMPIONS: 2013-R.J. Johnson, 2014-R.J. Johnson, 2015-R.J. Johnson, 2016-R.J. Johnson, 2017-R.J. Johnson, 2018-Charles Davis Jr.

SOUTHWEST CHAMPIONSHIPS WINNERS: 2018-Charles Davis Jr.

2019 SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR WINS: 1-Damion Gardner, 1-Josh Hodges, 1-R.J. Johnson, 1-C.J. Leary, 1-Mike Martin, 1-Brody Roa, 1-Hunter Schuerenberg, 1-Logan Seavey, 1-Stevie Sussex, 1-Jake Swanson.

PEORIA SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR WINS: (Includes non-point shows) 19-R.J. Johnson, 10-Charles Davis Jr., 8-Bryan Clauson, 4-Ryan Bernal, 4-Dave Darland, 4-Stevie Sussex, 3-Josh Hodges, 3-Mike Martin, 3-Matt Rossi, 2-Brady Bacon, 2-Josh Pelkey, 1-Colby Copeland, 1-Tye Mihocko, 1-Brody Roa, 1-Hunter Schuerenberg, 1-Mike Spencer, 1-Richard Vander Weerd.

SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS: 1. Brody Roa-698, 2. R.J. Johnson-666, 3. Stevie Sussex-639, 4. Charles Davis Jr.-584, 5. Mike Martin-554, 6. Jake Swanson-470, 7. Matt Rossi-413, 8. Matt Lundy-378, 9. Michael Curtis-347, 10. Chris Bonneau-326, 11. Austin Williams-324, 12. Damion Gardner-269, 13. Josh Hodges-202, 14. Jonas Reynolds-201, 15. Isaac Chapple-200, 16. Tommy Malcolm-190, 17. Matt McCarthy-152, 18. Daylin Perreira-151, 19. Chris Gansen-149, 20. Dennis Gile-136.

2019 SANDS CHEVROLET USAC SOUTHWEST SPRINT CAR SCHEDULE

DATE – TRACK – LOCATION

March 2: Central Arizona Speedway – Casa Grande, AZ (Winner: C.J. Leary)

March 8: #Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Winner: Josh Hodges) 

March 9: #Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Winner: Hunter Schuerenberg) 

April 20: Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Winner: Logan Seavey)

April 27: Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Winner: Brody Roa)

May 18: Central Arizona Speedway – Casa Grande, AZ (Winner: Stevie Sussex)

June 1: Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Winner: R.J. Johnson)

June 8: Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Winner: Mike Martin)

July 13: #Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Damion Gardner)

August 17: #Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Winner: Jake Swanson)

September 14: Canyon Speedway Park – Peoria, AZ (Southwest Championships)

September 28: #Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Hall of Fame Classic)

October 26: Central Arizona Speedway – Casa Grande, AZ (Howl-O-Ween Bash)

November 7: *#Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Oval Nationals)

November 8: *#Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Oval Nationals)

November 9: *#Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, CA (Oval Nationals)

November 15: *#Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)

November 16: *#Arizona Speedway – San Tan Valley, AZ (Western World Championships)

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* = Co-Sanctioned Event with AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Cars.

# = Co-Sanctioned Event with AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Cars.

This schedule is subject to change.