Photo Finish! Lewis nips Bender for 5th straight Imperial win
Column By: Lance Jennings / USAC MEDIA – IMPERIAL, CA – Surging off the final corner, Ricky Lewis of Camarillo, California passed both Stevie Sussex and A.J. Bender to win by 0.034 seconds and earn his fifth consecutive Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car victory on Saturday night at California’s Imperial Valley Raceway.
Driving his #41 Mesilla Valley Transportation / Morris Family Farms DRC, Lewis finished ahead of Bender, Stevie Sussex, Braden Chiaramonte, and R.J. Johnson.
Lewis began the night by posting his sixth career Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award with a time of 12.345 seconds over Stevie Sussex, “The Big Game Hunter” Austin Williams, A.J. Bender, R.J. Johnson and the rest of the roster in attendance.
Last season’s rookie of the year, Connor Lundy of Peoria, Arizona raced to victory in the 10-lap Sexton Fire Protection First Heat Race. The pilot of the family owned #97 Apache Transport / Jugo Superfoods Sherman finished ahead of Dayton Shelton, Brecken Guerrero, A.J. Bender, Lewis, and Wayne Siddle.
The 10-lap Roy Miller Freight Lines Second Heat Race went to Laveen, Arizona’s Stevie Sussex. Driving Jack Yeley’s #2 Avanti Windows & Doors / C.K. Electric Twister, Sussex finished ahead of R.J. Johnson, Connor Speir, Rickey Kinney Jr., Verne Sweeney, and Jim Vanzant.
El Cajon, California’s Braden Chiaramonte won Imperial’s 10-lap Rescue Mission Alliance Third Heat Race in the OCC Motorsports #73B Maxim backed by A.M. Ortega and RTL Traffic Control. Austin Williams, Daylin Perreira, Shon Deskins, Broedy Graham, and Elexa Herrera followed Chiaramonte across the stripe.
Ricky Lewis and Elexa Hererra tied for the night’s Steve Lafond Photos Hard Charger Award / “Best Passing Job” honors. Lewis claimed the victory after starting sixth and Herrera of New Cuyama, California drove the family owned #5E All American Drilling / 3H Cattle Company DRC to a thirteenth place finish from eighteenth.
On Saturday, March 21st, the Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car Series will return to Perris Auto Speedway in Perris, California for their fifth point race of the campaign. For more information on the series, visit usacracing.com and the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content on the USAC CRA Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
