PHOENIX, AZ, Oct. 14 -    Over the years, California based drivers have found the road to victory lane at Manzanita Speedway challenging to say the least.  There are, however, a couple of exceptions.  Namely Mike Kirby and Cory Kruseman.

Still, Kirby's ten wins and Kruseman's five wins were the only first place finishes Californians could lay claim to in the last 55 Sprint Car Racing Association (SCRA) races at Manzanita heading into Saturday night's 30 lap feature.

Previously winless at Manzy in the year 2000, California drivers broke out of their desert slump in a big way by posting the first seven positions.  Appropriately, Kirby dominated the event in wire-to-wire fashion with Kruseman finishing in second place.

Virtually unchallenged at any point during the race, Kirby's win, his fifth of the season in the Brad & Nancy Geurin / Statewide Towing No. 5 Stinger, comes as a surprise only because the powerplant under the hood has been an engine that the team has been less than pleased with in this year.

"We called this motor Piglet, but we had it rebuilt and they renamed it the Golden Hog," Kirby laughed.  "It's been okay on the short tracks, but really hadn't been the best motor.  They changed a few things this time and it seemed to be a big improvement.  Now that we've got our motor situation figured out this two year-old car is working good. "

Last week's runner-up finisher, Troy Rutherford, had the pole for the main event after winning his third JE Pistons Dash of the season. Kirby, who started on the outside of the front row, took the lead at the start of the race and was followed by Rutherford, Rickie Gaunt, Kruseman and John Scott at the end of lap one.

Smoothly riding the cushion, Kirby immediately extended his lead leaving the next six cars to tussle over the second position.  Mike English provided a preview of things to come on lap 12 when he passed Richard Griffin for sixth using the bottom groove.  English began the race in the eleventh spot, but by the end of the 16th lap had the Mark Priestley / Roy Miller Freightliners No. 10 Stinger up to second. 

Meanwhile, Kirby was enjoying a full straightaway advantage despite having to knife his way through lapped traffic.  Kirby's only anxious moment of the race came on lap 18 after Adam Mitchell ricocheted off the wall and into Rick Ziehl sending the veteran driver flipping along the backstraight.  With Rodney Argo now spinning to a stop as well, Kirby successfully managed to slow his mount while weaving his way through the wreckage and debris.  Fortunately, there were no injuries.  During the subsequent red flag stoppage, Kirby was informed of English's progress on the bottom by his Crew Chief Brett Roa.

"With 13 laps to go, Brett told me that the car was all mine and to do what I want," Kirby recalled.  "I was running pretty good up top and wasn't getting over the cushion.  If someone would have should me a nose I probably would have switched to the bottom, but I was running smooth and knew the cushion wasn't as hard on the tires."

Kirby wisely restarted the race on the bottom before quickly returning to the cushion.  Forced to restart with six lapped cars between himself and Kirby, English had some difficulty when racing resumed and Kruseman was able to push the Harlan Willis / TCR Performance No. 45 into the runner-up spot. 

All the jostling through lapped shuffled most of the positions behind Kirby and helped him restore his full straightaway lead in only a few circuits.  In the end, Kirby went on to accept the checkered flag with nearly 8.5 seconds to spare over runner-up finisher Kruseman.

Rutherford was running third thanks to a nice move on lap 22, but a punctured right rear tire on the final lap of the race caused him to limp back to the line in tenth.  English, who won the Red Line Oil Hard Charger Award, finished third ahead of Scott in the Pace Electronics No. 83.  Steve Ostling completed the top-five in the Bill Pratt / Feese Solid Surface No. 12 Okie.   In time trials, Griffin won the Sander Engineering Fast Qualifier Award after touring Keith Hall's 1/2 mile track in 18.800 seconds.
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RACE #36 - MANZANITA SPEEDWAY
PHOENIX, AZ
Date of Race: 10/14/00

SCRA TIME TRIALS
1. Richard Griffin, Silver City NM, Chaffin 50 , 18.800 2. John Scott, Hesperia CA, Scott Mtrsprts 83 , 18.838  3. Charles Davis, Jr, Chandler AZ, Sertich 92 , 18.841  4. Rickie Gaunt, Torrance CA, Gardner Jr. 96 , 18.847  5.  Rip Williams, Yorba Linda CA, Jory 3 , 18.878 6. Cory Kruseman, Ventura CA, Willis 45, 18.888  7. Troy Rutherford, Ojai CA, Gardner, Jr 6 , 19.067  8. Mike Kirby, Lomita CA, Geurin 5, 19.115  9. Steve Ostling, Corona CA, Pratt 12 , 19.277 10. Mike English, Norwalk CA, Priestley 10, 19.311  11. Michael Smith, Trona CA, Fischer Mtrspts 29 , 19.324  12. Brandon Lane, Mesa AZ, Lane 66, 19.383  13. Rodney Argo, Hawthorne CA, Argo 19 , 19.403 14.  Jordan Hermansader, Long Beach CA, Franklin 20 , 19.452  15. Lance Gremett, San Marcos CA, Gremett 85, 19.457  16. Derek Davidson, Lafayette IN, Ellis 21, 19.470  17. Bob Ream Jr, Glendale AZ, Brat Racing 87, 19.483  18. Bobby Graham, Riverside CA, Silver State 14 , 19.527  19. Jeremy Sherman, Phoenix AZ, Lloyd. 41 , 19.542 20. Marty Miller, Glendale AZ, Miller 27A , 19.548  21.  Keith Williamson, Pomona CA, Williamson 95 , 19.551  22.  Rick Ziehl, Las Cruces NM, G&N Motorsports 35, 19.568  23. Adam Mitchell, Escondido CA, Mitchell 99 , 19.598  24.  Bobby Marcum, Verde Valley AZ, Carsten 91 , 19.607   25. Eric Wilkins, Peoria AZ, Smiley 60A, 19.631  26. Verne Sweeney, Lomita CA, Sweeney 98, 19.636  27. Jarrett Chaney, Clovis CA, Chaney 69, 19.673  28. Brian Venard, Tustin CA, Venard 47, 19.688  29. George Gervais, Mira Loma CA, Gervais 9 , 19.743  30.  Casey Shuman, Tempe AZ, Lake Mtrsprts 22, 19.844  31. J Hicks, Torrance CA, Alexander 89, 19.863  32. Tom Downing, Lakewood CA, Downing 90 , 19.985 33.  Tony Jones, Corona CA., Cowherd 48 , 20.083  34.  Hank Winter, Tucson AZ, Winter 33, 20.162  35.  Michael Hinrichsen, Lakeside CA, Lake Mtrsprts. 2, 20.322  36.  Ricky Johnson, Phoenix AZ, Johnson 51A , 20.536  37. Matt Felio, Alpine CA, Felio 26, 20.603  38. Steve Stone, Mesa AZ, Carsten. 61A 20.775  39. Jack DeArmond, Jr., Corona CA, DeArmond, Sr. 24, 21.585  40. Will Perkins, Victorville CA, Perkins 70, 21.954  41. Travis Cooley, Mesa AZ, Cooley 67A , 22.331

HEAT 1
1. Eric Wilkins, 2. Bob Ream Jr, 3. Steve Ostling, 4, Richard Griffin, 5. Rodney Argo, 6. Tony Jones, 7. George Gervais, 8. Keith Williamson, 9. Rip Williams,

HEAT 2
1. Bobby Graham, 2. John Scott, 3. Rick Ziehl, 4. Cory Kruseman, 5. Casey Shuman, 6. Jordan Hermansader, 7. Mike English, 8. Verne Sweeney, 9. Hank Winter,

HEAT 3
1. Jeremy Sherman, 2. Jarrett Chaney, 3. Troy Rutherford, 4. J Hicks, 5. Charles Davis, Jr, 6. Adam Mitchell, 7. Michael Smith, 8. Lance Gremett, 9. Ricky Johnson,

HEAT 4
1. Mike Kirby, 2. Brian Venard, 3. Rickie Gaunt, 4. Marty Miller, 5. Derek Davidson, 6. Brandon Lane, 7. Matt Felio, 8. Tom Downing, 9. Bobby Marcum,

DASH  
1. Troy Rutherford. 2. Mike Kirby. 3. Cory Kruseman. 4. Rickie Gaunt. 5. John Scott. 6. Richard Griffin. 7. Steve Ostling, 8. Bob Ream Jr.

C FEATURE
1. Tony Jones. 2. Hank Winter. 3. Ricky Johnson. 4. Matt Fello. 5. Steve Stone. 6. Travis Cooley 7. Will Perkins.  8. Michael Hinrichsen. 9. Jack DeArmond, Jr..

B FEATURE
1. Rip Williams. 2. Charles Davis, Jr. 3. Rodney Argo. 4. Mike English. 5. Michael Smith. 6. Adam Mitchell. 7. Brandon Lane. 8. Derek Davidson. 9. Jordan Hermansader. 10. George Gervais. 11. Lance Gremett. 12.  Casey Shuman. 13. Ricky Johnson. 14. Matt Fello. 15. Keith Williamson. 16. Tony Jones.

A FEATURE
1. Mike Kirby. 2. Cory Kruseman. 3. Mike English. 4. John Scott. 5. Steve Ostling. 6. Rickie Gaunt. 7. Rip Williams. 8. Richard Griffin. 9. Jeremy Sherman. 10. Troy Rutherford. 11. Bob Ream Jr. 12. Michael Smith. 13. Eric Wilkins. 14. J Hicks. 15. Jarrett Chaney. 16.  Brian Venard. 17.  Bobby Graham. 18. Marty Miller. 19. Charles Davis, Jr. 20.  Adam Mitchell. 21.  Rick Ziehl. 22.  Rodney Argo.

Laps Led: Kirby 1-30