FOURTH IN POINTS, LOGAN WILLIAMS GOES TO THE SANTA MARIA RACEWAY ON SATURDAY
2024-07-04 16:40
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(Ontario, CA, July 3, 2024) Enjoying the best season of his career, Logan Williams will be behind the wheel of the Flowdynamics #5W when the Avanti Windows and Doors USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series makes its first appearance at the Santa Maria Speedway since 2022 this Saturday, July 6th. Spectator gates at the newly reopened 1/3 mile banked clay oval will open at 4:00 p.m., qualifying will start at 5:00, and the first race will take the green flag at 6:00.
Williams, who lives in Yorba Linda, California, has performed well in his last two outings at Santa Maria. On July 3, 2021, he placed eighth in the main. At the last USAC/CRA race at the track on August 6, 2022, he finished the 30-lapper in fourth place.
The 2013 Perris Auto Speedway Young Guns champion and 2014 USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year, Williams has been one of the most consistent drivers in the USAC/CRA Series this season. He has seven top-10s and four top-five finishes in the first eight races. The only night he placed out of the top 10 came at Perris when driveline issues sent him off the track early in the going on April 27th. He ended up 22nd on that night. Entering this Saturday's race, he is fourth in the series championship point standings, and he is only five points out of third.
At the series last race at Perris on June 22nd, Williams and teammate Matt McCarthy, who lives in Riverside, California, had flashes of brilliance on what turned out to be a strange race. On a hot, windy night, Williams turned in the seventh fastest time of the 22 cars on hand during qualifying when he toured the half-mile oval with a lap of 17.651. McCarthy's 17.950 was the 13th fastest on the night.
The times in qualifying ensured the teammates that they would be starting in the same heat race. In fact, they were starting nose to tail in the first heat. McCarthy was on the outside of row one and Williams was directly behind him. They finished next to each other for the second Perris heat in a row. At the Salute to Indy in May, McCarthy was second, and Williams was third when they were matched up in the same heat. This time, it was McCarthy for the win with Williams second. It was his third heat race win in five starts in 2024 for McCarthy, who makes his home in Riverside, California.
The main turned into one of the most bizarre races in the 28-season history of Perris Auto Speedway. Afternoon temperatures surpassed the century mark. To throw another wrench into the situation, Mother Nature was supplying wind. Normally when there is wind at Perris, it lays down late in the afternoon. On this occasion, the wind did not stop, and the temperature was 80 degrees when the main bumped off.
Williams started the 30-lap main in seventh, with McCarthy coming from 13th. Due to the heat and wind, the track quickly became very dusty, hindering the driver's visibility. McCarthy was involved in a skirmish with three other cars on lap 16, ending his night with an 18th-place finish.
Williams' night ended on lap 20 when series officials threw the red flag and ended the race due to the dusty conditions. By that time, Williams had advanced his position to fourth. That gave him three straight top fours, including a second at Kevin Harvick's Kern County Raceway on June 8th.
Adult tickets are $25.00 for Saturday's race at Santa Maria. Seniors and military get in for $23.00. For kids 6-12, it is only $5.00, and children 5 and under are free. The track is located at 1900 Hutton Road in Nipomo. The track website is https://santamariaspeedway.net/.
Whenever you get the chance to meet the Flowdynamics drivers in person, be sure to visit them in the pits. They will be glad to sign your autographs, and each of them will have their fine-looking team shirts available.
If you or your company would like to be a part of one of the West Coast's most prominent sprint car teams in the 2024 season, please contact John McCarthy at 909 930-5522 or mailto:john@flodyinc.com.
McCarthy and Williams would like to thank the following sponsors for making the 2023 season possible. Flowdynamics Inc., PurgePlugs.com, Cal Therm Mechanical Insulators, JFK Design Build, So Cal Racing Fuel, and Full Throttle Lift.
Matt McCarthy 2024 Results
2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA 13th B Main
3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA 10th A Main
4/27/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA 6th A Main
5/25/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA 12th A Main
6/22/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA 18th A Main
Logan Williams 2024 Results
2/24/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA 7th A Main
3/16/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA 5th A Main
3/23/24 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA 6th A Main
4/6/24 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA 9th A Main
4/27/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA 22nd A Main
5/25/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA 4th A Main
6/8/24 Kevin Harvick's Kern Raceway USAC/CRA 2nd A Main
6/22/24 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA 4th A Main
This release was produced by Scott Daloisio. Contact is available at (909) 226-7768 or via email at mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com