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LAPS WITH NORM BOGAN #22 (9/21/03) by Norm Bogan |
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Session 1: This was the weekend of the Mopar Million at Eldora, what was trumpeted as the biggest purse for a Non-Winged sprint car show in history. It was expected that a number of the Outlaws would take off their roofs and run a traditional race that pays much more than they are used to. The leading non-wing contingents, mostly from USAC and SCRA, plus a number of the competitors that race the weekly programs throughout Indiana, were also expected to provide an all-star field to vie for the million-dollar purse. The original cadre of SCRA racers diminished some after the August swing through the heartland. Many teams re-evaluated their budgets and their opportunity against such a stellar field. When the teams checked in at Eldora, the top three SCRA point leaders, Richard Griffin, Troy Rutherford and Damion Gardner, had all arrived. In addition, Rickie Gaunt was saddled into Bill Rose’s second car and Danny Sheridan was there in his regular SCRA ride, Dorothy #21. Griffin and Gaunt advanced to the “A” Main by finishing second in their heat races on Friday night, qualifying them for at least $10Gs. Gardner and SCRA part-timer, Levi Jones were mid-field in the “B”, but neither was able to progress to the big dance. Rutherford transferred from the “F” to the “D” before missing advancement. Sheridan missed the transfer into one of the six Main Events. The SCRA Alumni Association made a somewhat better showing, with Brad Noffsinger and J.J. Yeley also qualifying for the big show. John Scott started near the back of the “B”, but couldn’t make the front four. Cory Kruseman and Troy Cline moved from the “C” to the Semi. Bryan Stanfill and Casey Shuman were unable to reach the next level. Troy Cline and Jerry Coons Jr. moved from the “D” to the “C”, with Cline advancing and Coons loading up. The consensus was that Jac Haudenschild should be a favorite. The “Wild Child” probably has as many laps on this speedway as anyone in the field, running strong in both non-wing and winged sprinters. Jac made the prognosticators look smart, capturing probably his biggest career payday. Session 2: Since the top three point leaders were all in Ohio and SCRA had a show scheduled at Perris, there was anticipation of a new winner, with a number of non-winners making strong runs recently. The favorite had to be the veteran, Rip Williams. Well, what many thought might be easy pickings for Rip, turned out to be a night of horrors. Rip’s #3 lost oil pressure in hot laps, so the team rolled out the #6 car from the hauler. With some adjustments after a late hot lap session, Rip qualified sixth fastest and things looked good. This was kind of like silly season, with familiar faces appearing in the seats of new cars. Mike Kirby took his first ride in the Hasebe #2H and qualified tenth, finished second in his heat and fourth in the Dash. Mike English was in the seat of the Alexander #4 car, the big winner for the past several weeks, garnering two wins for Cory Kruseman and one for Mike Kirby. Steve Ostling was back strong in the #29 car after missing a couple of shows due to engine problems. Charles Davis Jr., who struggled in the early part of the season, had regrouped gathering several top five finishes recently. Tonight he established the fast time of 16.957 and then discovered water in the oil and scratched for the evening. Mike Spencer has been knocking on the door of victory lane with some outstanding performances. A number of rookie drivers were here to test the waters for the 2004 SCRA Rookie Challenge. Matthew Rossi, Trevor Brilman, Darren Hagen and Ryan Reed are all drivers considering a run at the rookie title next year. This will be a new group of young experienced drivers hoping to further their careers with the SCRA. Rip Williams’ bad luck continued as he flipped in the Passing Masters Dash. The crew was able to make repairs and return the #6 car for the feature. Early in the “A” Main, Rip got pinched into the main straightaway wall and went to the work area for a quick repair. Shortly after his restart, the car ended up stopped in the corner ending a very frustrating night for the twenty-six year veteran. In the feature, Ostling and Marc Hart diced from their front row starting spots, with Kirby soon joining the fray and moving into second and carrying Spencer with him. Soon Kirby was running up front with Spencer in close pursuit with Ostling lurking nearby and Tony Jones flying along on the top. While Kirby and Spencer battled for the lead, Jones and Ostling put on a side-by-side dice just behind them. Suddenly Kirby went high in three and slowed, limping into the work area. As the yellow came out, the Hasebe crew replaced a broken suspension part and got Kirby back out at the rear of the field. Spencer now took the point with Jones and Ostling both looking for the opening to pass for the lead. Spencer held them off until five laps to go, when he jumped the cushion in turn one and tagged the wall, which turned his car upside down. You can imagine the disappointment and frustration for the Spencer crew, as they were so close to that maiden victory. On the restart, Ostling and Jones put on a show running high and low, each gaining a “nose” advantage only to fall back at the next corner. In the meantime, Mike English had closed up in third place and Kirby had made a charge from the rear of the pack to fourth. At the checkers, it was Ostling giving one of his car owners, Mom Fischer, an eightieth birthday gift. Jones and English joined Steve on the podium and Kirby brought his first time ride home fourth, after nearly taking the Hasebe team to their first SCRA victory. This was an opportunity for some different drivers to show that SCRA is strong and exciting without the usual heroes, but even better when everyone is here. Session 3: While SCRA journeys to Manzanita next week for an outing on the big half mile, I will be traveling to northern California to witness a Civil War Series (Winged 360 sprints) event at Twin Cities Raceway in Marysville, CA on Friday and following that up with a first time visit to Orland Raceway for the Harvest Classic. The featured class will be Wingless Spec Sprints on this one-fifth mile fairgrounds oval. Session 4: SCRA will be joined by the VRA sprints on October 4th at Perris. Hopefully the racing will be a fitting climax to a day of celebration at the Legends of Ascot Hall of Fame induction and serious bench racing session with a lot of gray haired old men, some who happened to be stars at the revered oval. |
