VENTURA, CA, October 20 --
John Scott won the 30 lap Sprint Car Racing Association (SCRA) main event and
Jarrett Chaney the Wagsdash, Saturday night at Ventura Raceway.
For local fans, the highlight of the evening was watching hometown favorite Cory
Kruseman clinch his first SCRA driving title. Despite the fact that the
majority of SCRA participants reside from California, Kruseman becomes the
state's first driving champion ending Richard Griffin's run of three straight
titles. Interestingly, Kruseman thanked a pair of now retired SCRA
champions from Arizona.
"It's a dream come true. For many years, I watched the CRA guys race
and who'd ever think that I'd be a champion. I'll probably look at that
list of champions and think it's a misprint," laughed Kruseman.
"I just have to
thank Ron Shuman, who has helped me so much this year and Lealand McSpadden, who
has helped me so much over the years."
Even with 14 wins on the year and the driving title in hand, Kruseman still has
some unfinished business. Mainly, to win the SCRA Owners Championship for
Harlan Willis. With 280 points still possible, Willis' car holds a 141
point lead over six time owners champ, Ron Chaffin, heading into the final two
weekends of point paying races.
"We really want to win the Oval Nationals (at the Perris Auto Speedway on
Nov. 1st-3rd), but we definitely want to win the owners championship for Harlan
Willis. We've been together eight years now, and before that he
helped me in TQ's. We'll just have to hang in there for the next couple of
races and hopefully we'll be able to do it," said Kruseman.
Not to be overshadowed by Kruseman's accomplishments was Scott's magnificent
drive. When the SCRA visited Seaside Park last month, Scott was the
fastest driver in time trails and was in a position to win his first race at
Ventura. Scott drove his Pace Electronics No. 83 TCR to a somewhat
disappointing fourth place finish on that night, but left Ventura this time with
his third SCRA win of the year. Proving his versatility, Scott's victories
this season have come at three different tracks.
"It's weird because we've had a lot of bad luck," reflected Scott on
what's been the best season of his SCRA career. "We've had some
engine problems, some car problems and I've made some mistakes, but overall
we've put together a decent year. Not a great year, but a decent year, and
it looks like we're going to be able to carry some good momentum into next year.
We've learned a lot this year and our future looks good."
Tony Jones won the JE Piston Dash in the Jack Gardner, Jr. / Sander Engineering
No. 2 Sled and started the on the pole for the last SCRA feature race of the
year at Ventura. Jones took the lead at the start and was
followed by Jeremy Sherman, Scott, Griffin and Sander Engineering Fast Time
Award winner Mike Kirby. The drop of the green flag also officially gave
Kruseman the championship. Scott tangled with Sherman as he was passing him on
lap two. This allowed Griffin to slip ahead of both of them. Scott
was able to keep pace with Griffin and passed him for second place on the ninth
lap.
Trying to become the first driver in SCRA history to win three main events in
one year driving for three different car owners, Jones reached lapped traffic on
lap eleven. Unfortunately for Jones, Mike Spencer bicycled in front of him
on lap 17. Spencer did a nice job avoiding a roll over, but slowed quicker
than Jones anticipated. Trying to slide around the outside of the rookie
driver, Jones clipped Spencer's right rear tire. Jones somehow avoided a
big crash, but did relinquish the lead to Scott.
"Tony was fast. I don't know if we would have got him or not as fast
as the track was," Scott later admitted. "Tony was stout and
looking good in that Gardner car and I really thought he had that move made, but
when I went by him he was nose up. I looked to see if the yellow light had
come on because I thought for sure he was going over. I was really happy
for Tony that the yellow didn't come out, but on the flip side I knew he was
still back there."
Jones was definitely still back there. In fact, had he not run out of race
track, Jones might have driven around the outside of Scott exiting turn four on
lap 22. But, Jones would once again have some trouble in lapped traffic.
Opportunistically, Kirby put the Alexander-Geurin / Statewide Towing No. 5
Stinger into the runner-up spot on lap 26. Kirby ran hard in the final
laps, but was not fast enough to challenge Scott who went on to establish a new
30 lap track record (6:18.03).
"Thirty laps in six minutes and change, that's ridiculously quick. I
can do 20 minutes on a treadmill and it's not nearly a strenuous as six minutes
in a sprint car here. You still have to be patient here and not get
yourself in
trouble by making stupid moves, but you have to get after it right away here as
well. It's a happy medium," Scott explained.
Sherman finished fourth in his first race behind the wheel of the Mark Preistley
/ Roy Miller Freightliner No. 7 Stealth. Driving the Chaffin Motorsports /
Arizona Race Mart No. 50 Jon Boy, Griffin rounded out the top-five.
Ken Wagner's 30 lap invitational race, otherwise known as the Wagsdash,
followed. Jarrett Chaney, who had just finished ninth in the SCRA main
event, took the lead on lap 14 from Ronnie Clark and went on to win this
popular race which is run annually to benefit the hard luck drivers that follow
the SCRA tour.
"This is great. I'd like to thank Wags, he put on a great race,"
said Chaney, who won rookie of the year honors last season with the SCRA.
"It's kind of neat because all of the people that have had bad luck or
aren't one
of the top runners get to run a main event together. We started 16th and
my dad told me to just be patient because it's going to be rough out there and
everyone wants to win."
Gary W. Howard started next to Chaney and eventually finished in second place
ahead of Spencer (started 19th) and Danny Sheridan (started 17th).
###
SCRA RACE #36 - VENTURA RACEWAY, VENTURA, CA
Date of Race: 10/20/01
SANDER ENGINEERING TIME TRIALS
1. Mike Kirby, Lomita CA, M&B Racing 5 , 11.985 2. Cory Kruseman,
Ventura CA, Willis 45 , 12.009 3. John Scott, Hesperia CA., Scott Mtrsprts
83, 12.078 4. Rickie Gaunt, Torrance CA, M&B Racing, 5X , 12.138
5. Steve Ostling, Corona CA., Fischer Mtrspts 29, 12.138 6. Richard
Griffin, Silver City NM, Chaffin 50 , 12.143 7. Gary W. Howard, Fontana
CA., Ruth 25 , 12.161 8. Tony Jones, Corona CA, Gardner Jr. 2 ,
12.181 9. Troy Rutherford, Ojai CA, Gardner, Jr 4 , 12.185 10.
Jeremy Sherman, Phoenix AZ, Priestley 7 , 12.236 11. Charlie Zabinski,
Garden Grove CA.,Gardner Jr 96 , 12.285 12. Michael Hinrichsen, (R)
Lakeside CA, Lake Mtrsprts, 16, 12.286 13. Jack DeArmond, Jr., Corona CA,
DeArmond, Sr. 24 , 12.364 14. Danny
Sheridan, Santa Maria CA, Sertich 92 , 12.374 15. Rip Williams, Yorba
Linda CA, Jory 3 , 12.375 16. Jarrett Chaney, Clovis CA, Chaney 69, 12.397
17. Bobby Graham, Riverside CA, Lancaster 14 , 12.410 18. Mike English,
Norwalk CA, Miller 75, 12.428 19. Dan Tedrick, Hesperia CA, Tedrick 88,
12.465 20. Chris Wakim, Simi Valley CA, Wakim 9W, 12.468 21. Mel
Murphy, Riverside CA, Murphy 62, 12.537 22. Lance Gremett, San Marcos CA,
Gremett 85 , 12.589 23. Brian Venard, Tustin CA, Venard 47, 12.594
24. Charles Davis, Jr, Chandler AZ, Morales 94 , 12.617 25. Rodney Argo,
Gardena CA, Argo 19 , 12.625 26. Steve Venard, Silverado CA, Glover 49 ,
12.662 27. Greg DeCaires, Elk Grove CA.,Hasebe 17 , 12.712 28. Mike
Spencer, (R) Temecula CA, Engstrom 44 , 12.739 29. Josh Ford, Camarillo
CA., Ito/Ford 73J , 12.765 30. Tom Downing, Lakewood CA, Downing 90 ,
12.768 31. Chris Tramel, Ventura CA, Tramel 77 , 12.830 32. Ronnie
Clark, (R) Tucson AZ, Winter 33 , 12.887 33. Ron Bach, Ventura CA, Bach
49X , 12.916 34. Jeremy Ellerson, Hermosa Beach CA, Ellerson 98X , 12.975
35. Keith Williamson, Pomona CA, Williamson 95 ,
13.004 36. Errol Sack, Agua Dulce CA, Sack 97, 13.011 37. Jordan
Hermansader, Long Beach CA, Pratt 12 , 13.152 38. Greg Taylor, (R) Ojai
CA, Taylor 7T 13.503 39. Glenn Hopper, Placerville CA, Hopper 61H, 13.873
40. Cal Smith, Montclair CA, Pratt. 39 13.877
C FEATURE
1. Ron Bach. 2. Errol Sack. 3. Jeremy Ellerson. 4. Greg Taylor. 5. Jordan
Hermansader. 6. Keith Williamson. 7. Glenn Hopper. 8. Cal Smith.
HEDMAN HEDDERS HEAT 1
1. Mike Kirby, 2. Bobby Graham, 3. Jack DeArmond, Jr., 4. Steve Ostling, 5.
Rodney Argo, 6. Josh Ford, 7. Troy Rutherford, 8. Ron Bach, 9. Mel Murphy,
SHAVER ENGINES HEAT 2
1. Mike English, 2. Lance Gremett, 3. Richard Griffin, 4. Jeremy Sherman, 5.
Cory Kruseman, 6. Danny Sheridan, 7. Errol Sack, 8. Tom Downing, 9. Steve
Venard,
KSE PRODUCTS HEAT 3
1. Rip Williams, 2. John Scott, 3. Brian Venard, 4. Greg DeCaires, 5. Gary W.
Howard, 6. Dan Tedrick, 7. Jeremy Ellerson, 8. Charlie Zabinski, 9. Chris
Tramel,
SIMPSON RACE PRODUCTS HEAT 4
1. Chris Wakim, 2. Jarrett Chaney, 3. Tony Jones, 4. Mike Spencer, 5. Charles
Davis, Jr, 6. Greg Taylor, 7. Michael Hinrichsen, 8. Rickie Gaunt, 9. Ronnie
Clark,
JE PISTONS DASH
1. Tony Jones. 2. Jeremy Sherman. 3. John Scott. 4, Richard Griffin. 5. Steve
Ostling. 6. Mike Kirby, 7. Rip Williams. 8. Jack DeArmond, Jr.
JB ENTERPRISE B FEATURE
1. Cory Kruseman. 2. Troy Rutherford. 3. Rodney Argo. 4. Gary W. Howard. 5.
Rickie Gaunt. 6. Greg Taylor. 7. Danny Sheridan. 8. Josh Ford. 9. Charlie
Zabinski. 10. Charles Davis, Jr. 11. Errol Sack. 12. Ronnie
Clark. 13. Chris Tramel. 14. Michael Hinrichsen. 15. Jeremy Ellerson.
16. Steve Venard. 17. Mel Murphy. 18. Dan Tedrick. 19. Ron Bach.
A FEATURE (30 Laps - Time: 6:18.03*New Track Record)
1. John Scott. 2. Mike Kirby. 3, Tony Jones. 4. Jeremy Sherman. 5. Richard
Griffin. 6. Rip Williams. 7. Cory Kruseman. 8. Steve Ostling. 9. Jarrett Chaney,
10. Mike English. 11. Gary W. Howard. 12. Troy Rutherford. 13. Rodney
Argo. 14. Bobby Graham. 15. Mike Spencer. 16. Jack DeArmond, Jr. 17.
Brian Venard. 18. Lance Gremett, 19. Greg DeCaires. 20. Chris Wakim,
Laps Led: Jones 1-16, Scott 17-30
WAGSDASH (30 Laps)
1. Jarrett Chaney, 2. Gary W. Howard, 3. Mike Spencer, 4.
Danny Sheridan, 5. Greg DeCaires, 6. Ronnie Clark, 7. Steve
Conrad, 8. Jack DeArmond, Jr. 9. Brian Venard, 10. Josh Ford,
11. Keith Williamson, 12. Cal Smith, 13. Jeremy Ellerson, 14.
Mel Murphy, 15. Steve Venard, 16. Tom Downing, 17. Jordon
Hermansader, 18. Dan Tedrick, 19. Charles Davis, Jr., 20.
Lance Gremett.
Laps Led: Tedrick 1-3, Clark 4-13, Chaney 14-30
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SCRA Driver Point Standings as of: 10/20/01
CAR NAME
HOMETOWN
STARTS POINTS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
1. 45 Cory Kruseman
Ventura CA 36 2430
2. 50 Richard Griffin
Silver City NM 34 2120
3. 4 Troy Rutherford
Ojai CA
36 2052
4. 5 Mike Kirby
Lomita CA 35
1875
5. 83 John Scott
Hesperia CA 36 1807
6. 3 Rip Williams
Yorba Linda CA 36 1656
7. 5X Rickie Gaunt
Torrance CA 36 1648
8. 29 Steve Ostling
Corona CA 35
1522
9. 75 Mike English
Norwalk CA 35 1461
10. 94 Charles Davis, Jr
Chandler AZ 35 1312
11. 92 Danny Sheridan
Santa Maria CA 35 1238
12. 2 Tony Jones
Corona CA 24
1148
13. 19 Rodney Argo
Gardena CA 28 951
14. 2IJ Troy Cline
Santa Clarita CA 19 870
15. 85 Lance Gremett
San Marcos CA 36 738
16. 99 Adam Mitchell
Escondido CA 31 704
17. 16 Michael Hinrichsen
(R) Lakeside CA 36 638
18. 69 Jarrett Chaney
Clovis CA 21
616
19. 17 Greg DeCaires
Elk Grove CA 20 577
20. 14 Bobby Graham
Riverside CA 27 561
