(Perris, CA, December 17, 2023) When it comes to helping out in sprint car racing, Warner Springs, California chassis builder Stan Sexton is always ready to lend a hand. So, when he was asked if his company, GAS Chassis, would like to award the 2024 Young Guns series champion a brand new chassis, the personable car owner replied with a resounding, “Heck yes.” Thus, in 2024 the title for the group will be the GAS Chassis Young Gun Sprint Car Series.
The series, which was founded in 2013 by Perris Auto Speedway promoter Don Kazarian, was initially for drivers in their teens who had never raced sprint cars before. Rather than throw them to the lions to get pummeled in the USAC/CRA series, it allowed drivers to race at a more comfortable level with peers who were also learning.
Several drivers who honed their skills in the class have graduated to higher levels of racing. The first series champion was Logan Williams. One year after his triumphant season in the Young Guns, he was crowned USAC/CRA Rookie of the Year. 2016 Young Gun champ Courtney Crone has been climbing the racing ladder ever since she won the title. She spent 2023 competing in the IMCA series at such tracks as Daytona and Lime Rock Park. She also raced at Germany’s famous Hockenheimring, and Zandvoort circuits in the German Prototype Cup series. In 2018, Eddie Tafoya was crowned Young Guns champ. The following year he was named Rookie of the Year in USAC/CRA. Along with Williams, he is expected to be in the hunt for the USAC/CRA champion’s crown in 2024.
The series has always been a launch pad, trophy-only class. In 2024, it will still be a stepping-stone division but it will have a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow in the form of a brand-new GAS Chassis for the champion. Coming with the chassis will be a body, motor plate, all of the aluminum and tin work, front axle, and radius rods.
“Initially when we came back after Covid, our Young Gun series was hurting,” longtime promoter Kazarian said. “2021 virtually saw one car in the class and it was that way for most of 2022. However, the series had a nice bounce back in 2023 with eight drivers. We think most of them will be back in 2024 and have already heard that at least one other car is going to enter the fray.”
“A huge thank you goes out to Gas Chassis owners Stan Sexton and Nita Gatlin for stepping up and offering a nice package for next year’s champion. In addition to advancing their careers, it will give the competitors something else to shoot for. As well as the fine prize, the Young Guns can look for an expanded schedule next year that will see them race 10 times. It all adds up to what should be a great season for them.”
For Sexton, it was a no-brainer when he had the chance to jump in. While it is a way to get his company name out, it is more about helping the sport grow and prosper in the future.
“I am doing it to help the young kids starting out,” the personable racing businessman said. “They usually use hand-me-down stuff from dad, grandpa or whoever raced previously if they have racing experience. You do not always go out and buy the best of the best to find out you do not like or want to continue racing. I hope it will help bring up the car count and have people competing for it (the new car). After they get their first crash and couple of bruises out of the way, they will have something of quality to really start building on.”
While he wants to help the sport, there is one thing he will not skimp on and that is safety. Sexton owns the car his son Shane drives in the USAC/CRA Series. On April 15th of this year, the promising young driver was involved in one of the scariest crashes seen at Perris Auto Speedway in quite some time. Competing in the main event that night, contact with another car sent the GAS Chassis #74 catapulting down the back straightaway in a series of violent flips. He gained enough altitude in the terrifying tangle to see what was on the other side of the track billboards.
While the crowd anxiously awaited, the driver known as “Shugah Shane,” climbed out of the car. Shaken, he was able to walk away from the crash. However, the chassis held up and had little structural damage. That was due to his dad’s insistence on safety.
“We use nothing but what is called German Standard Chrome Molly,” the elder Sexton said. “I have certified welders that weld everything. It is standard (for GAS Chassis) to have the halo and the outlaw bars. That is standard. It is not an option. I will not send them out otherwise.”
“The motor plates I have machined for me to my specifications. The tin work, I like doing all of the aluminum lower panels and other trick work like that. I have a machine shop that handles all of the billet aluminum pieces. The Dumas family has been long in the off-road industry. They have been doing all of my tig welding for me. Cory McClenathan, the former top fuel dragster driver, has been doing all of our fiberglass and carbon fiber body pieces. Of course, the carbon fiber is an upgrade. The fiberglass, he reinforces with Kevlar in the high impact zones like the crown of the nose and stuff like that. He has been helping us out and started his own business so we kind of partnered right away.”
The first chance for drivers to earn points toward winning the Young Gun championship and the GAS Chassis is under 10 weeks away on February 24th. Throughout the 2024 season, the GAS Chassis Young Gun series will be joined at every race by the Avanti Windows & Doors CRA Sprint Cars, PAS Senior Sprints, and PASSCAR Stock Cars. The full schedule is listed below.
Tickets for all 2024 Perris Auto Speedway races will soon be on sale at www.tix.com or by calling 1-800-595-4849
2024 Perris Auto Speedway Schedule
February 10th LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION: DEMO CROSS, FIGURE 8’S, TRAILER FIGURE 8’S, MINI STOCKS AND
DOUBLE DECKERS
February 24th AVANTI USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS SENIOR SPRINTS, GAS CHASSIS YOUNG GUN SERIES AND PASSCAR SUPER AND STREET STOCKS
March 9th LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION: DEMO CROSS, FIGURE 8’S, TRAILER FIGURE 8’S, MINI STOCKS AND
DOUBLE DECKERSMarch 16th AVANTI USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS PAS SENIOR SPRINTS, GAS CHASSIS YOUNG GUN SERIES AND PASSCAR STREET AND FACTORY STOCK CARS
April 6th LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION: DEMO CROSS, FIGURE 8’S, TRAILER FIGURE 8’S, MINI STOCKS AND
DOUBLE DECKERS
April 27th AVANTI USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS SENIOR SPRINTS, GAS CHASSIS YOUNG GUN SERIES AND PASSCAR SUPER AND FACTORY STOCKS
May 4th LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION: DEMO CROSS, FIGURE 8’S, TRAILER FIGURE 8’S, MINI STOCKS AND
DOUBLE DECKERSMay 25th “SALUTE TO INDY” AVANTI USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS SENIOR SPRINTS, GAS CHASSIS YOUNG GUN SERIES AND PASSCAR SUPER AND STREET STOCKS
June 1st LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION: DEMO CROSS, FIGURE 8’S, TRAILER FIGURE 8’S, MINI STOCKS AND
DOUBLE DECKERS
June 22nd AVANTI USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS SENIOR SPRINTS, GAS CHASSIS YOUNG GUN SERIES AND PASSCAR STREET AND FACTORY STOCKS
July 4th “FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR AND SKY CONCERT” (TENTATIVE)
LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION: DEMO CROSS, FIGURE 8'S, TRAILER FIGURE 8’S, MINI STOCKS ANDDOUBLE DECKERS
July 13th AVANTI USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, GAS CHASSIS YOUNG GUNS SERIES, AND PASSCAR SUPER AND FACTORY STOCKS
August 10th LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION: DEMO CROSS, FIGURE 8’S, TRAILER FIGURE 8’S, MINI STOCKS AND
DOUBLE DECKERS
August 17th AVANTI USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, GAS CHASSIS YOUNG GUNS SERIES AND PASSCAR SUPER AND STREET STOCKS
September 7th LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION: DEMO CROSS, FIGURE 8’S, TRAILER FIGURE 8’S, MINI STOCKS AND
DOUBLE DECKERSSeptember 14th TBA
September 21st AVANTI USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, GAS CHASSIS YOUNG GUNS SERIES AND PASSCAR SUPER AND FACTORY STOCKS
October 26th LKQ Pick Your Part Presents NIGHT OF DESTRUCTION: DEMO CROSS, FIGURE 8’S, TRAILER FIGURE 8’S, MINI STOCKS AND
DOUBLE DECKERSNovember 8th 27TH RUNNING OF THE OVAL NATIONALS Featuring AVANTI USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS SENIOR SPRINTS, GAS CHASSIS YOUNG GUN SERIES AND PASSCAR SUPER, STREET AND FACTORY STOCKS
November 9th 27TH RUNNING OF THE OVAL NATIONALS Featuring AVANTI USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS, PAS SENIOR SPRINTS, GAS CHASSIS YOUNG GUN SERIES – JERRY DODD CHAMPIONS NIGHT, PASSCAR SUPER, STREET AND FACTORY STOCKS
THIS SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
Perris Auto Speedway is conveniently located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds (home of the Southern California Fair), one hour east of Los Angeles and one hour North of San Diego. To get to the track, take the 215 freeway, exit on the Ramona Expressway, and go three miles east to the fairgrounds. For directions online, the address to enter is: 18700 Lake Perris Drive and the zip code is 92571.
USAC/CRA races from Perris Auto Speedway are not streamed online.
Fans can stay up to date on track and driver news on The PAS social media efforts at the links below.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Perris-Auto-Speedway/113876798686480
Twitter: Perris Auto Speedway on Twitter
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perrisautospeedway/
Website: http://perrisautospeedway.com/
Perris Auto Speedway wants to thank the following corporate partners. Ahern Equipment Rentals, Anderson Chevrolet, Battery Systems, Bud’s Tire, Tire Choice Auto Service, Chris’ Hauling, City of Perris, Communication Innovations, Daytona Boat & RV Storage, Ed Moore Bullet Proof Driveshaft, Flowdynamics, HD Industries, Heimark/Anheuser Busch, Hoosier Tires, Inland Rigging, Living Water’s Hospice, LKQ Pick Your Part, Luke’s Transmission, Moose Racing, Pepsi-Cola, Performance Online, Pole Position Raceway, PrintItNow.com, Rainbow Bolt & Supply, Rene’s Bar & Grill, Rugged Radios, Shaver Specialties, Square H, Sunoco Race Fuels, Trench Shoring, Upland Rock, Varner Construction and Vista Paint.
