PERRIS, CA, July 14 --    Cory Kruseman passed Richard Griffin on the next to last lap to win Saturday night's 30 lap Sprint Car Racing Association (SCRA) main event at the Perris Auto Speedway. 

The word dominating is an understatement when it comes to describing Kruseman's PAS performances this season.  Having now tasted victory seven times this year at Perris, Kruseman's latest win marked the 25th time in his SCRA career that he has driven into Perris' victory lane.  On the brink of rewriting the SCRA record books, Kruseman now sits only six victories behind the "PAS Master" Rip Williams who has won a record 31 times at Perris.

Doing all the things that a driver needs to do to win a championship, Kruseman rebounded from his worst outing of the season one week ago to win the Sander Engineering Fast Time Award and his heat race before registering one of his most exciting wins of the year.  In "dream season" fashion, Kruseman enjoyed a perfect 80 point night and extended his point lead over Griffin to 144 (1591 to 1447) with 20 races remaining on the SCRA schedule.

Tony Jones made his debut in the Lloyd Racing No. 34 Ellis and won his first JE Pistons Dash of the year to secure the pole for the main event.  Jones seemed to have trouble coming off the fourth turn to accept the green flag and could only watch as Griffin and Kruseman beat him into turn one.  The Moose Racing / Jan's Health Bar No. 92 Buckley driven by Danny Sheridan nipped Jones at the end of the lap for third as Williams ran in the fifth
position.

Welcoming his new sponsor, Kruseman moved the Harlan Willis / WorldGate Networks No. 45 TCR ahead of Griffin on the second lap of the race.  Looking strong, as well, Williams passed Jones for fourth on the same circuit. Showing no ill-effects of the compressed vertebrae that he sustained last week at Santa Maria Speedway, John Scott moved into fifth place on the third lap.

Williams searched hard for a way around Sheridan, who was driving different lines hoping to find one that would prevent Kruseman and Griffin from pulling away.  Williams eventually put the Sharon Jory / Vista Paint No. 3 Gambler ahead of Sheridan on the seventh lap, but was now faced with the unenviable task of catching the two highest ranked SCRA drivers.

Nine laps into the race, Kruseman suddenly began running lower and, as it turned out, slower.  Griffin quickly took advantage of the situation and moved the Ron Chaffin / Arizona Race Mart No. 50 Jon Boy back into the lead one lap later.  After the race, Kruseman couldn't explain what happened during this sequence, only that he just felt a "little uncomfortable" for a couple of laps. 

"The race track was awesome all night long," Kruseman said.  "There were such big holes getting into the turns that it kind of slowed the lap times down. It made everyone hunt for some race track and it wasn't just a momentum deal out there."

Shortly after being passed, Kruseman regained what little momentum there was to gather and was able to kept pace with Griffin as they reached slower traffic on lap 14.  A couple of laps later, Williams and Sheridan closed in and had made it a four-way battle for the lead.  Hank Winter abruptly slowed directly in front of Griffin on lap 19 and nearly caused the cars behind him to tangle.  Everyone managed to avoid an incident, but Winter was unable to safely make his way off the racing surface, forcing officials to throw the only caution flag of the race. 

Kruseman had a slight miscue on the restart, allowing the "Gasman" to open up a bigger lead than he enjoyed prior to the yellow flag.  Williams pressured Kruseman for the next couple of laps only to have Sheridan sneak by him on lap 21. 

With five laps to go and Kruseman was once again in a position to challenge him, Griffin started hugging the bottom of the track as if he was challenging Kruseman to pass him on the outside.  Kruseman stuck a wheel under Griffin in turn one on lap 28, but the three-time SCRA champ was able to hold him back. 

Griffin approached lapped traffic one lap later.  With a slower car immediately in front of him, Griffin entered turn three and left the smallest of openings on the bottom.  With the white flag nearly in sight, Kruseman seized what might have been his only chance to win the race and muscled his way under Griffin for the lead in turn four.

"Richard doesn't run the bottom that much, so it was kind of different seeing him there," Kruseman said after taking home his ninth SCRA win of the year.  "Richard was definitely faster than us and I think the lapped cars kind of hurt him.  When you're running second they can help you.  When you're leading it's kind of a hindrance because the lapped cars move out of the way for the second place guy, which really helped me a bunch."          

Williams passed Sheridan for third just before Kruseman made his race winning pass.  Jones fought back from a slow start and finished fifth.  Steve Ostling had problems in time trials and had to work his way from the C-Main just to get into a heat race.  Starting 22nd, Ostling finished tenth to win the TW Metals Hard Charger Award 

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SCRA RACE #23 - PERRIS AUTO SPEEDWAY, PERRIS, CA
Date of Race: 07/14/01

SANDER ENGINEERING TIME TRIALS
1. Cory Kruseman, Ventura CA, Willis 45, 16.733 2. Rip Williams, Yorba Linda CA, Jory 3 , 16.838  3. Mike Kirby, Lomita CA, M&B Racing 5 16.871 4. Danny Sheridan, Santa Maria CA, Sertich 92 , 16.965  5. Richard Griffin, Silver City NM, Chaffin 50 , 16.971  6. Rickie Gaunt, Torrance CA, M&B Racing 5X , 16.975  7. Verne Sweeney, Lomita CA, Sweeney 98 , 17.005  8. Tony Jones, Corona CA, Lloyd 34 , 17.077  9. Jarrett Chaney,  Clovis CA., Chaney 69 , 17.125  10. Rick Becker, (R) Highland CA, Becker 67 , 17.183  11. Mike English, Norwalk CA,  Priestley 7 , 17.186  12. Ronnie Clark, (R) Tucson AZ, Winter 138 , 17.295  13. Troy Rutherford, Ojai CA, Gardner, Jr 4 , 17.301 14. Bobby Graham, Riverside CA, Silver State 14 , 17.365  15. John Scott, Hesperia CA, Scott Mtrsprts 83 , 17.397  16. Jordan Hermansader, Long Beach CA, Pratt 12 , 17.427  17. Michael Hinrichsen, (R) Lakeside CA., Lake Mtrsprts. 16 , 17.483  18. Charles Davis, Jr, Chandler AZ, Morales 94, 17.487  19. Gary W. Howard, Fontana CA, Ruth 25, 17.490  20. Greg DeCaires, Elk Grove CA, Hasebe 17, 17.513  21. Charlie Ekiss, La Mesa CA, Ball 78, 17.552  22. Tom Downing, Lakewood CA, Downing 90 , 17.645  23. Mike Spencer, (R) Temecula CA., Engstrom 44 , 17.676  24. Marc Hart, Ventura CA, Hart 15 , 17.677  25. Rodney Argo, Gardena CA, Argo 19 , 17.703  26. Hank Winter, Tucson AZ, Winter 33 , 17.717  27. Lance Gremett, San Marcos CA, Gremett 85, 17.767  28. Tony Everhart, El Cajon CA, Everhart 55, 17.782  29. Alex Grigoreas, Chino CA, Keene 84 , 17.798  30. Jack DeArmond, Jr., Corona CA, DeArmond, Sr. 24, 17.815  31. Steve Venard, Silverado CA, Glover 49 , 17.823 32. Keith Williamson, Pomona CA, Williamson 95 , 17.837  33. Kevin White, Anaheim CA, White 43 , 17.917  34. Chris Rahe, Corona CA, Rahe 51 , 17.958 35. George Gervais, Mira Loma CA, Gervais 9 , 17.963  36. Jeff Schildmeyer, (R) Alpine CA, Ball 87 , 18.123  37. Dan Hillberg, Whittier CA, Hillberg 82, 18.126  38. Mel Murphy, Riverside CA, Murphy 62 , 18.127  39. Glenn Crossno, (R) Alta Loma CA, Crossno 38, 18.233  40. Mark Nation, Los Olivos CA, Nation
3N , 18.283  41. Steve Ostling, Corona CA, Fischer Mtrspts 29 , 18.383  42. Jimmy Gardner, (R) Garden Grove CA, Gardner Jr 96 , 18.553  43. Dan Tedrick, Hesperia CA, Tedrick 88 , 18.687  44. Austin Kreider, Arcadia CA, Kreider 8 , 18.737  45. Danny Miller, Yorba Linda CA, Miller 75 , 19.390  46. Cal Smith, Montclair CA, Pratt. 39 , No Time  47.  Adam Mitchell, Escondido CA, Mitchell 99, No Time  48.    Jeremy Ellerton, Hermosa Beach CA, Ellerton 98X, No Time

C FEATURE
1. Kevin White. 2. Jeff Schildmeyer. 3, Steve Ostling. 4. George Gervais. 5. Chris Rahe. 6. Mel Murphy. 7. Dan Hillberg. 8. Dan Tedrick. 9. Jimmy Gardner, 10. Mark Nation. 11.  Glenn Crossno. 12.  Danny Miller.

HEDMAN HEADERS HEAT 1
1. Cory Kruseman, 2. Rodney Argo, 3. Richard Griffin, 4. Michael Hinrichsen, 5. Troy Rutherford, 6. Charlie Ekiss, 7. Jarrett Chaney, 8. Kevin White, 9. Alex Grigoreas,

SHAVER ENGINES HEAT 2
1. Hank Winter, 2. Jack DeArmond, Jr., 3. Rip Williams, 4. Charles Davis, Jr, 5. Rick Becker, 6. Rickie Gaunt, 7. Bobby Graham, 8. Tom Downing, 9. Jeff Schildmeyer,

KSE PRODUCTS HEAT 3
1. Lance Gremett, 2. Mike English, 3. Steve Ostling, 4. John Scott, 5. Mike Kirby, 6. Gary W. Howard, 7.    Mike Spencer, 8. Verne Sweeney, 9. Steve Venard,

SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS HEAT 4 
1. Danny Sheridan, 2. Keith Williamson, 3. Tony Jones, 4. Greg DeCaires, 5. Marc Hart, 6. Jordan Hermansader, 7. Ronnie Clark, 8. George Gervais, 9. Tony Everhart,

JE PISTONS DASH
1. Tony Jones. 2. Richard Griffin. 3. Danny Sheridan, 4. Cory Kruseman. 5. Rip Williams. 6. Mike English. 7. John Scott. 8. Michael Hinrichsen.

JB ENTERPRISE B FEATURE
1. Rickie Gaunt. 2. Jarrett Chaney. 3. Mike Kirby. 4. Verne Sweeney. 5. Troy Rutherford. 6. Marc Hart. 7. Tom Downing. 8. Jordan Hermansader. 9. Ronnie Clark. 10. Jeff Schildmeyer. 11. Gary W. Howard. 12. George Gervais. 13. Mike Spencer. 14. Tony Everhart. 15. Kevin White. 16. Bobby Graham, 17. Rick Becker. 18. Alex Grigoreas. 19. Charlie Ekiss, 20. Steve Venard,

A FEATURE (30 Laps)
1. Cory Kruseman. 2. Richard Griffin. 3. Rip Williams. 4. Danny Sheridan, 5. Tony Jones. 6. Mike English. 7. John Scott.  8. Mike Kirby. 9. Rickie Gaunt, 10. Steve Ostling. 11. Jarrett Chaney. 12. Troy Rutherford. 13. Michael
Hinrichsen. 14. Greg DeCaires.  15. Charles Davis, Jr. 16. Rodney Argo. 17. Lance Gremett,  18. Keith Williamson.  19. Jack DeArmond, Jr.  20. Verne Sweeney, 21. Hank Winter. 22. Marc Hart.
Laps Led: Griffin 1, Kruseman 2-9, Griffin 10-28, Kruseman 29-30

SCRA Point Standings as of: 07/14/01

CAR             NAME                   HOMETOWN             STARTS POINTS
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    1.  45  Cory Kruseman       Ventura CA      23  1591
    2.  50  Richard Griffin     Silver City NM  23  1447
    3.  5   Mike Kirby          Lomita CA       23  1273
    4.  4   Troy Rutherford     Ojai CA         23  1273
    5.  83  John Scott          Hesperia CA 23  1130
    6.  3   Rip Williams        Yorba Linda CA  23  1061
    7.  29  Steve Ostling       Corona CA       23  1041
    8.  7   Mike English        Norwalk CA      23  1010
    9.  5X  Rickie Gaunt        Torrance CA 23  978
    10. 94  Charles Davis, Jr   Chandler AZ 23  843
    11. 92  Danny Sheridan      Santa Maria CA  23  818
    12. 34  Tony Jones          Corona CA       15  766
    13. 11  Troy Cline          Santa Clarita CA 14 610
    14. 19  Rodney Argo     Gardena CA  16  501
    15. 99  Adam Mitchell       Escondido CA    22  467
    16. 9   George Gervais      Mira Loma CA    22  426
    17. 12X Casey Shuman        Tempe AZ        19  419
    18. 85  Lance Gremett       San Marcos CA   23  414
    19. 17  Greg DeCaires       Elk Grove CA    14  368
    20. 16  Michael Hinrichsen  (R) Lakeside CA 23  365