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| JUNE'S
SOUTHWEST REPORT by June Lowitz |
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ASCA
SPRINTS - MANZANITA SPEEDWAY - 8/2/2003 |
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On
a nice day in Phoenix after having major thunder storms earlier in
the week, I figured since I am feeling good, I'm going racing.
I need to say thank you to those who emailed me during my
absence from racing. I
had a bad case of Murphy's Law hit me.
In May, I was out of work for about 3 weeks due to a severe
upper respiratory infection and Laryngitis.
After I got my voice back, a couple of weeks later, I got the
flu. I was running a
high fever and didn't break it for five days.
I got over that and then about a week later, I slipped and
fell and injured my right knee.
I was going to stay home and rest my knee but after calling
my racing bud Derek and talking to him, I decided to go. Arriving
at the track at about 6:00 pm and looking at my thermometer in my
car it said 102 degrees. Derek
said his car thermometer said 98 degrees, so it was somewhere around
100 degrees at 6:00 pm. Cooler
than what it had been the past few Saturdays, but still nice.
A bit more humid than normal but it still felt good to be at
the track. I walked in
and made it up to the "perch" where Derek sits.
He loves to be on the top row of Section E.
I made it almost to the top before my knee said "no more
stairs." When I
looked at the track it really looked wet.
There was Lake Manzanita coming out of turn 2 in between the
short and long track. I
have to say Happy Belated 7th Birthday to Devon Henry, son of Jeff
and Cindy Henry. Jeff
drives the #12 Robbie Allen owned Steve Coury
Pontiac, Buick, GMC, ASCA sprint car. Back
to the racing, it seemed to take forever to get the track packed in.
It seemed that the rains earlier in the week must have helped
water the track, but I think they over watered the track. Once
we got to racing, it seemed like one of those Murphy's Law nights.
The track was strange and stranger than usual things were
happening. In hot laps
points leader Josh Pelkey had problems with his rear end.
At first they announce he had scratched from the trophy dash,
but then he made the call for the dash and he went on to win the
Dash. In
heat one, Josh's motor sounded really rough.
Maybe flat was more the word but it didn't sound good.
He did win the heat race over Joey Moriarity, RJ Johnson,
Paul Norbury, Ricky Johnson, Chuck Buckman, Charles Davis, Jr and
Willy Grombach. Heat
two was up and Eric Wilkins won it from the front row.
Rookie Chris Edwards finished second, followed by Jeremy
Sherman, Travis Cooley, Jay Ervine, Bernie Smith, John Yates and
Dave Colegrove. I was
really impressed with the rookie Chris Edwards .
He wasn't or didn't seem intimidated by Eric Wilkins or by
Jeremy Sherman. He did
really well. The
third heat was won by The Bullet Bob Ream, Jr.
He sure looked good to me.
The Bullet was followed by Davey Bateman, Bugs Norbury, Jeff
Henry, Darren Hagen, Andy Reinbold, Justin Fisher, Rob Davis and
Brian Hacker. The
semi-main was a great race. Only
one flip involving Rob Davis marred the race.
Thankfully Rob walked away.
Ricky Johnson took the lead and I was watching Charles Davis,
Jr. work his way up from fifth place.
Charles lost some ground to the leaders when he went up and
over the berm in turn one but he came back and looked like a man on
a mission who wasn't going to accept second place.
There was a yellow flag and on the restart Ricky Johnson and
Davis, Jr went into turn one hard.
In my opinion, Davis, Jr. went into the corner so hard, he
knew he was going to hit Johnson, but Johnson held his ground, never
flinched or bobbled and went on to take the checkered flag and won
the semi main. Johnson
was followed by Davis, Jr, Ervine, Buckman, B. Smith, Reinbold,
Hagen, Yates, Fisher, Hacker, Gromback, Davis and Colgrove.
On the cool down lap is when all heck seemed to break loose.
Davis, Jr. came up along side of Johnson and in turn one hit
Johnson tire to tire and forcing Johnson to stop in turn one.
Davis, Jr., jumped out of his car in a huff and charged like
a bull over to Johnson's car. The
crowd realizing what Davis, Jr., was doing immediately reacted by
booing and shouting some not so nice things to Davis, Jr.
Johnson reacted perfectly by unbuckling his belts and
standing up in his seat with his body through the roll cage with his
hands in the air as if to say What's the problem?
It took a few (more than 3) men to pull Davis, Jr., away from
Johnson. OK.
I want to make this perfectly clear to those reading this.
What I am writing is what I saw with my own two eyes.
Nothing that I have reported was told to me by someone else,
but what I witnessed happening in turn one. I want it to be known
that if someone has a problem with what I am writing or what I say,
please email me and no one else.
I
have to say I was very impressed with the officials of ASCA for what
their decision on how to deal with this situation.
They immediately disqualified Davis from the race and I
didn't see him in the pits after the race.
I think that was the right thing to do but I would go a
couple of steps further. For
the lack of sportsmanship, I would fine him and strip him of some
points. I've said it
before and I'll say it again. The
drivers, car owners and pit crews need to realize that you are being
watched by kids at all times. I
understand that people get upset, but take it and discuss it in
private, not where the fans can see and hear you.
Think about this.... would you want your child to react to a
bad situation by using the language and by fighting? I know I sure wouldn't if I had a child.
I am one who is bragging about what great sportsmanship is
shown at the race track. How
people have to learn to lose gracefully and be a good sport, but how
can I get people with kids to come out if we are going to see this?
I'm asking as a person who loves this sport and I love to
bring out "rookies" to racing.... Please think before you
act in anger. Remember
someone is watching and you never know it could be your own kid!!! Now,
I'll step off my soapbox and get back to the racing. Main Event time!!! It
was a strange one to say the least.
Points leader Pelkey tried to start the main, but his
motor sounded worse. He
pulled into the pits and they tried something but whatever they
tried made it sound even worse, this time it sounded like he was
shooting ducks. Pelkey
did the smart thing and pulled it in rather than try to run it and
blow it up. Alternate
Willy Grombach got to make the main as a result of Pelkey
scratching. Darren
Hagen also made the main due to Davis, Jr's disqualification.
Rookie Chris Edwards was on the pole with Bateman along side
him. All night long the
outside line was the faster line and when the green flag dropped
Bateman took the lead. But
this start never counted as poor Darren Hagen flipped in turn three.
Again, thankfully he wasn't injured but his car was.
On the restart and again Edwards, the rookie did not seem to
be intimidated by anyone but again Bateman was the first car to turn
one and on lap two in turn three Bob Ream, Jr. was up on his tail
tank doing pirouettes and landed upside down.
After we found out that Bob was ok, my buddy Derek and I were
joking around and he gave Bob a 9.5 on the flip.
Derek said he had to take a half a point away due to the
landing on the wrong side. Derek
and I told Bob this after the race and I am not sure if he really
thought it was funny or not, but he smiled anyway.
I hope we didn't offend Bob and
his wife Yvonne, but if we did, I'm sorry. Just trying to cut the tension for you both.
Bob is also sporting a new look; he's blond now.
Well sorta blond cuz now he's letting his hair grow back to
it's natural brown.. He said he did it to try and change his luck but it hasn't
helped yet so he's going to go back to his normal color. Hey Bob, you look good as a blond, but better as a brunette.
:) Ok,
back to the main event. We
restarted the main again and Bateman took the lead and kept it until
the next red flag for Andy Reinbold.
Andy was ok as well. On
the restart either something happened to his car or Bateman was
sleeping because RJ Johnson just blew right by him and took the
lead. RJ was looking
good until he jumped the berm in turn one which let Jeremy Sherman
take the lead. Sherman
took it home for the win. Following
Sherman was Wilkins, RJ Johnson, Ricky Johnson, Henry, Cooley,
Fisher, Buckman, B. Smith, Edwards, Moriarity, Yates, Grombach,
Norbury, Bateman, B. Norbury, Ervine, Reinbold, Ream and Hagen. On
my way into the pits, I stopped by to say congrats to Jeremy and
talk to him for a few. Not
realizing he remembered me and knew that I wrote this column ( Hi
Jeremy and good luck), I introduced myself and asked him about the
SCRA tour. He said he
was going to make Hollywood Hills and Oskaloosa but it just depends
on sponsorship if he continues on.
I asked him if he was going to go back to Eldora for that big
race in September and he said if he can get a ride.
I sure hope that Jeremy gets the sponsorship or ride or
whatever he needs to go. Good
luck to you Jeremy. Oh
yeah..... one more time I need (or think I need) to climb back up on
my soapbox and complain about something but this bothers me. I heard some people talking in the pits about how ASCA is
making the 8/23 race a points race!
That is the same weekend as the 360 Nationals at Perris Auto
Speedway. Now, in my
mind it doesn't make sense. Why
wouldn't ASCA want it's drivers to go over and represent the
association? Showing
people what a great crop of drivers we have over here can only help
in bringing in more money and more sponsorship to not only the
association but to the drivers and car owners as well.
I really don't understand it at all.
Maybe someone somewhere can explain this to me because I sure
as heck don't understand. On
a personal note here I have to thank Jeff and Cindy Henry and Robbie
Allen and the whole crew of the #12 car.
You all know what you did and I can't say thanks enough. Derek,
thanks for going this past Saturday night.
I really had a lot of fun and hope we can get together again
at the track. On
that note it's time to say good bye from Arizona. Keep smiling-it makes people wonder what the heck you've been
up to. And if they ask,
tell them you've been Sprint Car Racing at Manzanita Speedway. If
you wish to reach me please email me at:
ASCAJune@aol.com |
