R.J. JOHNSON STAYS HOT WITH USAC CRA AT PERRIS
Photo by AJ Johnson
PERRIS, Calif.—Leading the final fourteen laps, fifth starting R.J. Johnson claimed his second consecutive Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car victory on Saturday night at Perris Auto Speedway.
Driving the Petty Performance Racing #33p Sherman, the point leader from Laveen, Arizona finished ahead of A.J. Bender, “The Pride of Garden Grove” Brody Roa, hard charger Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm, and a rebounding Ricky Lewis.
For his efforts, Johnson also earned an extra $500 bonus from series title sponsor, Avanti Windows & Doors.
Oxnard, California’s Ricky Lewis opened the program by earning his fifth career Woodland Auto Display / WC Friend Company Access Systems Fast Time Award. The owner/driver of the Mesilla Valley Transportation #41 DRC recorded a time of 16.591 seconds over Johnson, David Gasper, “The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams, “Chargin” Charles Davis Jr., and the rest of the 17-car roster.
Brody Roa of Garden Grove, California took the BR Performance #91R DRC to victory in the 10-lap WC Friend Company Access Systems / In Honor of Wiley Miler Sr. & Wiley Miller II / Silbermann Solar First Heat Race. “Bullet” Blake Bower from Brentwood, California topped the In Memory of Jim & Chet Gardner / Sexton Fire Protection / Factory Wraps Second Heat Race in the Tom and Christy Dunkel #17X DRC. For Roa and Bower, the triumphs were their fourth heat race wins of the campaign.
Starting 11th, Yucaipa, California’s Tommy “Thunder” Malcolm earned his second In Memory of Jim and Chet Gardner Hard Charger Award / “Best Passing Job” honors of the campaign. Racing Dino Napier’s #5X Maxim, Malcolm had raced up to third before falling to fourth at the checkered flags after a hard fought battle with Roa.
Next Saturday, October 4th, the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car Series will hit the road and travel to Mohave Valley Raceway in Mohave Valley, Arizona for their second and last visit on the schedule.
For more information on the series, visit www.usacracing.com and the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content on the USAC CRA Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS: September 27, 2025 – Perris Auto Speedway – Perris, California
WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY / WC FRIEND COMPANY ACCESS SYSTEMS QUALIFYING: 1. Ricky Lewis, 41, Lewis-16.591; 2. R.J. Johnson, 33p, Petty-16.736; 3. David Gasper, 18, Kittle/Gasper-16.789; 4. Austin Williams, 17w, Dunkel-16.792; 5. Charles Davis Jr., 47, Davis-16.965; 6. Blake Bower, 17x, Dunkel-16.983; 7. A.J. Bender, 21, Bender-16.998; 8. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 51T, Tafoya-17.066; 9. Brody Roa, 91R, BR-17.130; 10. Connor Speir, 57, Speir-17.161; 11. Tommy Malcolm, 5x, Napier-17.179; 12. Connor Lundy, 97, Lundy-17.417; 13. Verne Sweeney, 98, Guerrero-17.535; 14. Bryan Whitley, 22, Whitley-17.719; 15. Jeff Dyer, 39, Cal-Sun-17.743; 16. Brecken Guerrero, 98B, Guerrero-17.911; 17. Elexa Herrera, 5E, Herrera-18.619.
WC FRIEND COMPANY ACCESS SYSTEMS / IN HONOR OF WILEY MILLER SR. & WILEY MILLER II / SILBERMANN SOLAR FIRST HEAT: (10 laps, all transfer to the feature) 1. Brody Roa, 2. Tommy Malcolm, 3. Ricky Lewis, 4. Charles Davis Jr., 5. David Gasper, 6. A.J. Bender, 7. Jeff Dyer, 8. Verne Sweeney, 9. Elexa Herrera. 2:52.93
IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER / SEXTON FIRE PROTECTION / FACTORY WRAPS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps, all transfer to the feature) 1. Blake Bower, 2. R.J. Johnson, 3. Connor Speir, 4. Austin Williams, 5. Eddie Tafoya Jr., 6. Bryan Whitley, 7. Brecken Guerrero, 8. Connor Lundy. NT
FEATURE: (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. R.J. Johnson (5), 2. A.J. Bender (7), 3. Brody Roa (9), 4. Tommy Malcolm (11), 5. Ricky Lewis (6), 6. Charles Davis Jr. (2), 7. Blake Bower (1), 8. Eddie Tafoya Jr. (8), 9. Connor Speir (10), 10. Bryan Whitley (13), 11. Brecken Guerrero (15), 12. Verne Sweeney (12), 13. Elexa Herrera (16), 14. Austin Williams (3), 15. David Gasper (4), 16. Jeff Dyer (14), 17. Connor Lundy (17). NT
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-16 Blake Bower, Laps 17-30 R.J. Johnson.
IN MEMORY OF JIM & CHET GARDNER HARD CHARGER: Tommy Malcolm (11th to 4th)
AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-R.J. Johnson-1167, 2-Ricky Lewis-1140, 3-Austin Williams-955, 4-A.J. Bender-941, 5-Tommy Malcolm-932, 6-David Gasper-807, 7-Blake Bower-803, 8-Charles Davis Jr.-792, 9-Connor Lundy-680, 10-Eddie Tafoya Jr.-636.
NEXT AVANTI WINDOWS & DOORS USAC CRA SPRINT CAR RACE: October 4, 2025 – Mohave Valley Raceway – Mohave Valley, Arizona