PHOENIX, AZ, March 16 --   "And here comes the Gasman," shouted legendary Manzanita Speedway announcer Windy McDonald as Richard Griffin charged from the 12th starting position to win the first round of the Gary Sokola Classic Friday night.

Come November, McDonald's call just might mark the turning point of the season when Griffin began his run towards his fourth straight Sprint Car Racing Association (SCRA) title.  Plagued by a series of misfortunes this year, Griffin and the Ron Chaffin / Arizona Race Mart team find themselves back in the series point standings.  Unfamiliar territory for a team that's won six straight car owner championships.

"We've had a good car that was capable of winning most of the races this year and we've come into some bad luck and a few different deals have happened, but we were able to put everything together tonight," Griffin said after his first win of the year.  

"I'm disappointed where we are in the points, but it's kind of relaxing right now because I know how much pressure I but on myself to maintain the point lead.  I wish I was in the lead, but we'll let them deal with the pressure for awhile and we'll be back here nipping at their heels."

Cory Kruseman, who has dominated SCRA action this year, won the JE Pistons Dash to earn the right to start on the pole for the 30 lap main event. Kruseman beat front row partner Jay Drake coming off turn four to accept the green flag and led the field into the first turn.  Troy Rutherford stayed low on the opening lap and moved ahead of Drake exiting turn four as John Scott and Sander Engineering Fast Qualifier Derek Davidson followed closely behind.
 
Scott bullied his Pace Electronics No. 83 TCR ahead of Rutherford in turn four on lap three for second place, but was already some distance behind the Harlan Willis / Omni Turn No. 45 TCR driven by Kruseman.  Drake used a similar move on the following lap to take back the third spot. 

Ten laps into the race, Griffin already had his Jon Boy chassis up to the sixth place as Kruseman rode around with nearly a full straightaway lead over Scott.  By the halfway point of the race, Griffin had moved into fifth with Kruseman, Scott, Drake and Mike English in front of him.

Kruseman reached lapped traffic for the first time on lap 18 and appeared to be on his way to a comfortable win until the yellow flag flew two laps later for Bud Kaeding whose car caught fire along the front chute.  Kaeding safely climbed from his mount as the rest of the field began to line-up behind Kruseman for the restart. Griffin made the move of the night on the restart passing English and Drake, as well as a few lapped cars, using the turn two cushion.  Carrying plenty of momentum down the backstraight, Griffin dove under Scott in turn three to move into the runner-up spot.            

"I really didn't know if all the cars ahead of me were lapped cars or not," Griffin later recalled.  "When the green flag came out I just went and the guys in front of me kind of went to the middle and to the bottom.  I just rolled around on the top and was able to get by those guys.  It was kind of a lucky move, but very typical of what can happen at Manzanita Speedway. We had a long way to go tonight and I really didn't know if we were going to make it, lucky enough we were able to get by some of them guys on that yellow and put on a pretty good show for the fans."

At the moment, Griffin was still several car lengths behind Kruseman, but another yellow flag on lap 22 put him directly behind "The Kruser" on the restart.  During the caution period, Griffin playfully nudged the leader reminding everyone of the last time both men battled at Manzy.  Kruseman was the winner on that night and Griffin left with a destroyed race car.     

"I'm not much into mind games, but when we were rolling around there during the yellow I thought the fans would love it," Griffin said of the tap with a boyish grin.  "I just pushed on him a little bit and a lot of people came up to me after the race and said they that the fans went wild.  It was nothing against Cory, I just thought the fans might get a kick out of it."

Kruseman held the lead driving into turn one on the restart, but Griffin got a good run heading down the back straight after leaning hard on the turn two cushion.  Diving down to the bottom of turn three, Griffin fought the temptation to try a classic Manzy slide-job and stayed low until he exited turn four as the new leader.  Once out front, Griffin closed out the race like the champion he is.  Scott finished third ahead of a charging Tony Jones.  Indiana's Davidson finished fifth with sixth place Jeremy Sherman winning the T.W. Metals Hard Charger Award after his run from the 18th starting spot.  

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RACE #5 MANZANITA SPEEDWAY - GARY SOKOLA CLASSIC  PHOENIX, AZ
Date of Race: 03/16/01
SCRA TIME TRIALS
1. Derek Davidson, Lafayette IN, BWB Racing 26 , 19.184 2. Tony Jones, Corona CA, Cowherd 48 , 19.298  3. Troy Rutherford, Ojai CA, Gardner, Jr 4 , 19.300 4. John Scott, Hesperia CA, Scott Mtrsprts 83 , 19.324  5. Hank Winter, Tucson AZ, Winter 33 , 19.362 6. Mike English, Norwalk CA, Priestley 7 , 19.367  7. Cory Kruseman, Ventura CA, Willis 45 , 19.376 8. Jay Drake, Val Verde CA, Priestley 7x , 19.423  9. Charles Davis, Jr, Chandler AZ, Morales 94 , 19.438  10. Rip Williams, Yorba Linda CA, Jory 3 , 19.443  11. Brian Venard, Tustin CA, Venard. 47, 19.446 12. Mike Kirby, Lomita CA, M&B Racing 5, 19.447  13. Steve Ostling, Corona CA, Pratt 12 19.458 14.  Richard Griffin, Silver City NM, Chaffin 50 , 19.476 15. Dave Darland, Kokomo IN, Argo 19X 19.493  16.  Troy Cline, Santa Clarita CA, Cline 11, 19.501  17. Jimmy May, Ventura CA.,Witherill 61X , 19.523 18, Tony Elliott, Kokomo IN, M&B Racing. 5X , 19.535  19. Tracy Hines, New Castle IN.,BWB Racing 62 , 19.579  20.  Bud Kaeding, Campbell CA, Witherill 61K, 19.639  21. Jeremy Sherman, Phoenix AZ.,Ellis 21 , 19.667  22. Mike Boat, Glendale AZ, Boat 74 , 19.673  23. Rodney Argo, Hawthorne CA, Argo 19 , 19.687  24. Bobby Graham, Riverside CA, Silver State 14 , 19.710  25. Jerry Coons, Jr, Tucson AZ, Coons, Sr. 12A ., 19.750  26.  Rickie Gaunt, Torrance CA, Gardner Jr. 2 , 19.783  27.  Danny Sheridan, Santa Maria CA, Sertich 92, 19.815  28. Rick Ziehl, Las Cruces NM, G&N Motorsports 35 , 19.820  29. Lance Gremett, San Marcos CA, Gremett  85 ., 19.833  30. Bob Ream Jr, Glendale AZ, Brat Racing 8 , 19.851  31. Verne Sweeney, Lomita CA, Sweeney 98, 19.875  32. Cal Smith, Montclair CA, Francis 65 , 19.971 33.  Kaylene Verville, Phoenix AZ, Warner 01 , 20.004 34.  George Gervais, Mira Loma CA, Gervais  9 , 20.025 35.  Casey Shuman, Tempe AZ, Lake Mtrsprts 6 , 20.053  36. Greg DeCaires, Elk Grove CA, Hasebe 17 , 20.066  37.  Michael Hinrichsen, Lakeside CA, Lake Mtrsprts 16,  20.067  38. Fred Bryan, Higley AZ, Bryan 7A , 20.097 39. Adam Mitchell, Escondido CA, Mitchell 99, 20.128  40. Mike Spencer, Temecula CA, Engstrom 44 , 20.189  41. Ronnie Clark, Tucson AZ, Winter 138, 20.290 42. Michael Smith, Trona CA, Fischer Mtrspts 29 , 20.308  43.  Justin Marvel, Pittsboro IN, Wall/Vermeer 37, 20.517  44. Jack DeArmond, Jr., Corona CA, DeArsond, Sr, 24 , 20.634  45. Glenn Crossno, Alta Loma CA, Crossno 38,  20.988  46. Jeff Slinkard, Scottsdale AZ, Taylor 61 , 21.004 47.  Kenneth Webster, Phoenix AZ, Webster 99A , 21.023  48. Jimmy Gardner, Garden Grove CA, Gardner Jr 96 , 21.075 49, J.J. Yeley, Phoenix AZ, G.T. Racing 76, No Time

D FEATURE
1. Jack DeArmond, Jr., 2. Jeff Slinkard. 3. Justin Marvel. 4. Glenn Crossno. 5. Kenneth Webster. 6. Jimmy Gardner.

C FEATURE
1. Kaylene Verville. 2. Greg DeCaires. 3. Casey Shuman. 4. George Gervais. 5. Michael Hinrichsen. 6. Adam Mitchell. 7. Ronnie Clark. 8. Mike Spencer. 9. Michael Smith. 10.  Fred Bryan. 11, Jack DeArmond, Jr.. 12. Jeff Slinkard.

HEAT 1 
1. Jeremy Sherman, 2. Steve Ostling, 3. Derek Davidson, 4. Jerry Coons, Jr, 5. Jimmy May, 6. Hank Winter, 7. Charles Davis, Jr, 8. Lance Gremett, 9. Kaylene Verville,

HEAT 2 
1. Bob Ream Jr, 2. Tony Elliott, 3. Tony Jones, 4. Rip Williams, 5. Rickie Gaunt, 6. Mike Boat, 7. Greg DeCaires, 8. Mike English, 9. Richard Griffin,

HEAT 3 
1. Tracy Hines, 2. Cory Kruseman, 3. Troy Rutherford, 4. Danny Sheridan, 5. Rodney Argo, 6. Dave Darland, 7. Verne Sweeney, 8. Brian Venard, 9. Casey Shuman,

HEAT 4
1. Rick Ziehl, 2. Mike Kirby, 3. John Scott, 4. Jay Drake, 5. George Gervais, 6. Bobby Graham, 7. Troy Cline,  8. Cal Smith, 9. Bud Kaeding,

DASH
1. Cory Kruseman. 2. Jay Drake. 3. Troy Rutherford. 4. John Scott. 5. Derek Davidson. 6. Tony Jones. 7. Rip Williams. 8. Mike Kirby.

B FEATURE
1. Richard Griffin, 2. Mike English, 3. Charles Davis, Jr. 4. Troy Cline. 5. Jimmy May. 6. Bud Kaeding. 7. George Gervais.   8. Dave Darland. 9. Verne Sweeney. 10.  Hank Winter. 11.  Rickie Gaunt. 12.  Mike Boat.  13, Brian Venard. 14.  Casey Shuman. 15.  Kaylene Verville. 16.  Lance Gremett, 17. Cal Smith. 18.  Rodney Argo, 19. Bobby Graham. 20. Greg DeCaires.

A FEATURE
1. Richard Griffin, 2, Cory Kruseman. 3. John Scott. 4. Tony Jones. 5. Derek Davidson. 6. Jeremy Sherman. 7. Jay Drake, 8. Mike English. 9. Tracy Hines. 10.  Mike Kirby. 11.  Rip Williams. 12.  Troy Cline. 13. Danny Sheridan. 14. Tony Elliott. 15.  Bob Ream Jr. 16.  Jimmy May. 17.  Steve Ostling. 18.  Troy Rutherford. 19. Rick Ziehl. 20.  Charles Davis, Jr. 21.  Bud Kaeding. 22. Jerry Coons, Jr.
Laps Led: Kruseman 1-22, Griffin 23-30