Cory Kruseman of Ventura, Calif. sits atop the USAC/CRA Sprint Car standings going into this weekend’s Budweiser/Sands Chevrolet “Copper on Dirt” USAC tripleheader at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix, Ariz. Kruseman swept back-to-back USAC/CRA season opening Sprint races Friday and Saturday nights at Perris (Calif. ) Auto Speedway.
Last year, Kruseman surprised many with his victory in the “Copper on Dirt” Midget feature, but he’ll be trying to protect his one-point lead over Mike Spencer when the USAC/CRA Sprints take to the 1/2-mile dirt oval Friday. Prelims are slated Friday night, topped by a 10-lap “Copper Bowl Shootout” which will set the first five rows for Saturday night’s 30-lap feature. A 25-lap Mopar National and Western Midget feature precedes the Sprint race, while a 50-lap Silver Crown race closes Saturday’s action.
Kruseman passed Danny Sheridan to lead the final five laps of Friday’s race in his Lucas Oil/Agromin Viper/Mopar, then caught Spencer on the white-flag lap and led the last two laps to win Saturday. Spencer finished second both nights, while Blake Miller, Sheridan and R. J. Johnson rounded out Friday’s “top-five. ” David Cardey, defending series champion Tony Jones and Garrett Hansen completed Saturday’s “top-five. ” Series veteran Rip Williams of Yorba Linda, Calif. will be sidelined several weeks after suffering a broken left foot in a flip on the second lap of Friday’s feature.
USAC National Sprint Car Champion Levi Jones, runner-up Darren Hagen and National series regulars Dave Darland, Jon Stanbrough, Shane Cottle, Jerry Coons Jr., Brad Sweet, Brady Bacon, Chris Windom, Cole Whitt and Hunter Scheurenberg are already among those expected to challenge the USAC/CRA stars in this weekend’s Phoenix spectacular.
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