BRODY ROA TAKES SECOND USAC/CRA WIN IN A ROW AT KERN COUNTY
The week before at his first race at Kings Speedway in Hanford since 2021, Roa took a hard-fought win in the 30-lap main event. Saturday’s race was tougher and he had to come from behind to do it! Before he got to the main event, Roa had a good start in the city known as “California’s Country Music Capital.” He was the third-fastest qualifier in the 17-car field and won his 10-lap heat race after starting in sixth position.
Like his heat race, Roa started sixth in the Inland Rigging #17R in the main event. Staying on the outside line, he advanced two positions up to fourth by the end of the second lap. He dropped to the bottom on lap four and slid into third. He went straight back to the top of the racetrack and five laps later, he charged into second place. At that point, all that was between Roa and the leader was a lot of real estate. Like a half straightaway worth!
The “Pride of Garden Grove” began chipping away at the leader’s advantage and by the time the 14th lap rolled around, he was only inches behind. However, as the leader and Roa approached the first bend another car slid to a stop in the middle of the corner. Both tried to take evasive action. Roa was able to steer to the inside and get past the stopped car. However, the same could not be said for the leader who tried to go around the outside and made contact. That meant Roa would be the leader when the race restarted.
Roa quickly pulled away on the restart and built up a near two-second advantage by the end of lap 19. It seemed like the race was his, but another car spun coming off turn two. That brought out another yellow flag and the complexion of the race was about to change.
When the green light flashed on again, Roa got a good restart and went back to the top. Unfortunately, that restart was not good enough. The second-place car manned the bottom and took the lead from Roa before they completed lap 19. If that was not enough, the third-place car also used the bottom to pass him coming off turn two. Suddenly with 10 laps to go, Roa had been relegated back to third, but he was not done yet.
Not wanting to go to the bottom, Roa stayed true to the outside line and began to build up momentum. By the time the 23rd go-round had concluded, he had raced back to second. The 2019 USAC Southwest Sprint Car Series champion stalked the leader and he caught him on lap 25. He continued to run the top until coming off turn four at the end of the 25th circuit when he crossed back underneath his foe and reclaimed the lead. Seconds later, a bobble coming off turn two saw him momentarily fall from the top spot but he drove the bottom hard and found himself back out front in turn three.
Roa built up a small lead and it appeared that the drama in this one was over. That was not the case. He started the final lap with a three-car advantage. He stayed wide but caught a small rut coming off turn four the final time. It momentarily upset the car. However, Roa gathered it in, stayed on the throttle, and ended up taking the win in a photo finish. His margin of victory was .026!!!
“We are stoked,” Roa said after climbing out of his car. “After the heat race, I didn’t know if we really had it. As soon as we fired off (for the main) we were really good. Tommy (third-place finisher Tommy Malcolm) and Mitch (second-place finisher Mitchell Moles) got me on that restart. I kinda’ had to regroup and grab some knobs and dial this thing back in a little bit. I don’t know if it was that or me just getting my elbows back up.”
“Yeah, it was definitely wide,” Roa responded when asked about the track prep. “I am not a fan of the bottom right now anyways and I really don’t like rough. Neither line was good but I definitely wasn’t going to go to the bottom. Tommy and Mitchell both got me on the bottom and I said I just cannot go down there and run, that is not for me. So let’s try to keep working the top. I finally got it rolling again and was able to get them. The track definitely widened out. I am glad it was not follow the leader around the bottom. It was two lanes of racing and elbows up hang on for sure.”
Roa’s performance at KCRP saw him leave the track with a bulging 110-point lead in the championship point standings. He is off to one of the best starts in the history of the USAC/CRA Series. In seven races, he has four wins, two second-place finishes, and a fifth. His main event finishing percentage is an amazing 1.85!!!
This Saturday, May 6th, Roa heads to the 1/3 mile banked Mohave Valley Raceway in Arizona. He has two previous appearances at the track. The first came last October when he started 11th in the 30-lap main. On that night, the savvy racer drove through the field and scored a convincing win before a packed house. He made his second appearance there five weeks ago. On that occasion, he was the second-fastest qualifier, started sixth, and won his heat race. He started sixth in the 30-lap main event and came home second. It was one of only three times this season that the talented driver did not take home the USAC/CRA winner’s trophy.
Roa will have a teammate at Mohave Valley this Saturday. Inland Rigging team owner Tommy Dunkel will be back in the saddle for the race in the “Copper State.” At the April 1st race, the Menifee, California driver placed ninth in the B main. One week later he led every inch of the way for his first-ever sprint car main event win in the VRA Series at the Ventura Raceway. It will be Dunkel’s fourth sprint car start of the season.
For fans who would like to see the Inland Rigging Team drivers in action on Saturday, Mohave Valley Raceway is located just minutes from the Colorado River and only 20 minutes from Laughlin, Nevada. The address is 2750 E. Laguna Road, Mohave Valley, AZ (86440). The office phone number is 928-336-4000 and the website is mohavevalleyraceway. Adult tickets are $25.00. For seniors 60 and over and military (with id), it is $20.00. Kids 6-12 are just $5.00 and children 5 and under are free. Tickets are cash only (no ATM on site). Concessions, the souvenir stand, and the beer garden are cash or card). Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. and racing will begin at 7:30.
As always, Roa would be more than happy to jump in a race car on his weekends off from the #17R. His entire schedule is printed below. If anybody wishes to contact him about open dates, they can do so at 714-932-7994 or mailto:brodyroa91@gmail.com
The team wants to thank the following sponsors for making the 2023 season possible. Inland Rigging, Dunkel Farms, United Asset Sales, Osborne Speed & Machine, Sander Engineering, “Biker” Bruce Fischer, ALR Virtual Services, Burris Racing, Caltrol, Competition Suspension, K-1 Race Gear, Molecule, Rod End Supply, Driven Racing Oil, Baldwin Filters, and NGK Spark Plugs.
Brody Roa’s 2023 Schedule and Race Results
January 27 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 1st A Main
January 28 Cocopah Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 1st A Main
February 25 Kern County Raceway Park USAC West Coast Sprint Cars Rained Out
March 3 Central Arizona Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars Rained Out
March 4 Central Arizona Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars Rained Out
March 11 Imperial Valley Raceway SoCal Open Comp 17th A Main
March 18 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 2nd A Main
March 24 Kings Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars Rained Out
March 25 Thunderbowl Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars Rained Out
April 1 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 2nd A Main
April 15 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 5th A Main
April 22 Thunderbowl Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 1st A Main
April 29 Kern County Raceway Park USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 1st A Main
May 6 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
May 20 Thunderbowl Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
May 27 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
June 10 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
June 24 Bakersfield Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
July 1 Santa Maria Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
July 15 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
August 12 Santa Maria Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
August 19 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
August 26 TBA USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
September 9 Santa Maria Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
September 23 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
October 14 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
October 20 Imperial Valley Raceway SoCal Open Comp
October 21 Imperial Valley Raceway SoCal Open Comp
November 3 Central Arizona Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
November 4 Central Arizona Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
November 11 Perris Auto Speedway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars
Tom Dunkel’s 2023 Racing Results
January 12 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals Prelim. Night 12th C Main
March 11 Imperial Valley Raceway SoCal Open Comp 16th A Main
April 1 Mohave Valley Raceway USAC/CRA Sprint Cars 9th B Main
April 8 Ventura Raceway VRA Sprint Cars 1st A Main
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This release was produced by Scott Daloisio Sports (909) 226-7768 mailto:sdaloisiosports@gmail.com