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PAUCH STEALS SCRA THUNDER AT GRANDVIEW |
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BECHTELSVILLE, PA, AUGUST 11, 2002 - New Jersey's Billy Pauch became the
fifth different driver, from the fifth different state, to claim a main event
win during the 2002 Non-Wing World Championship (NWWC) tour. Pauch's
victory came Sunday night at the Grandview Speedway where he won the last
non-winged sprint car race held at the facility ten years ago. Relying on what he referred to as "home track advantage," Pauch's win also made him Grandview Speedway's all-time "Thunder on the Hill" main event winner (with ten main event wins). Interestingly, there was some doubt as to whether Pauch was even going to have his Scott Mertz owned, Century 21 No. 55 Stealth at the track in time to race. "There was a traffic jam and they couldn't get on the turnpike," Pauch explained. "They had to re-route and they got here just after the drivers meeting and I figured this probably wasn't going to be a very good night." Tony Elliott started on the outside of the front row for the third time in as many nights for the 30-lap race, but it would be the GT Racing / ABC Sand & Rock No. 76 Twister driven by J.J. Yeley that would take the lead on the opening lap. NWWC and SCRA point leader, Richard Griffin, was running fourth on lap two when he hooked the infield berm and spun exiting turn two directly in front of 18 cars. Somehow, everyone except for Tony Jones managed to make it past Griffin. Griffin's troubles continued on the restart after he tangled with Lance Gremett and flipped in turn two. Neither driver was hurt. Pauch, who started sixth, moved ahead of WSA Health Care No 61 TCR piloted by Troy Rutherford for third on the first restart, and then, passed Elliott for the runner-up spot on the second restart. Rutherford also passed Elliott on lap five exiting turn four. Cory Kruseman used a move similar to Rutherford's on lap seven to put his WorldGate Networks No. 1 TCR into fourth. Pauch had steadily been eating away at Yeley's lead when the yellow flag flew on the ninth lap after Adam Mitchell and Mike Spencer hooked nerf bars and spun into the infield. "I've known J.J. since he was 16 and I went out West and drove for his dad (Jack) when J.J. was starting," Pauch later said. "He's a very impressive driver that's going places, I'm just proud to say that I rubbed elbows with him." Three laps after the restart, Pauch did more than just rub elbows with Yeley and took the lead in turn four. Despite some difficult moments through lapped traffic with Yeley breathing down his neck, Pauch was able to pull away in the closing laps to earn his first NAPA Auto Part / Auto Trader Magazines SCRA win. Rutherford finished third ahead of Kruseman and the Carol Crossno / Pace Hallmark entry driven by Levi Jones. ### SCRA RACE #26 - GRANDVIEW SPEEDWAY, BECHTELSVILLE, PA Date of Race: 8/11/02 SANDER ENGINEERING TIME TRIALS 1. Richard Griffin, Chaffin 50, 14.422 2. Cory Kruseman, Willis 1, 14.716 3. J.J. Yeley, GT Racing 76, 14.794 4. Levi Jones, Crossno 138, 14.905 5. Rip Williams, Jory 3, 14.906 6. Tony Elliott, Walker 39, 14.916 7. Troy Rutherford, Witherill 61, 14.927 8. Mike Spencer, Engstrom 44 , 14.941 9. Adam Mitchell, Mitchell 99, 14.997 10. Rickie Gaunt, Alexander 4, 15.014 11. Billy Pauch, Mertz 55, 15.049 12. Tony Jones, Vermeer/Jones 87, 15.109 13. Mike English, Jory 6, 15.129 14. Bobby Graham, Crossno 38, 15.143 15. Bud Kaeding, BK Motorsports 29K, 15.145 16. John Scott, Scott Mtrsprts 83, 15.147 17. Charles Davis, Jr., Davis 94, 15.315 18. Mike Kirby, Geurin 5, 15.396 19. Lance Gremett, Gremett 85, 15.454 20. Mike Haggenbottom, Bostic Mtrsprts. 6H, 15.573 21. Damion Gardner, Gardner 20, 15.733 22. Jack DeArmond, Jr., DeArmond, Jr. 24, 15.923 23. Dave McGough, McGough 669, 15.965 24. Billy Brian, Jr., Brian 16, 16.128 25. Mike Lauterborn, Lauterborn 41M, 16.278 26. Mike Wells, Wells 74JR, 16.287 27. Rich Carnathan, Warner 64J, 16.755 28. Jack Curtis, Curtis 88, 16.924 29. Jeff Warner, Warner 64X, 17.715 30. Bobby Cody (R), Cody 41, 21.195 HEDMAN HEDDERS HEAT 1 1. Griffin, 2. Scott, 3. Gaunt, 4. Rutherford, 5. L. Jones, 6. English, 7. Lauterborn, 8. DeArmond, 9. Gremett, 10. Curtis. SHAVER ENGINES HEAT 2 1. Kruseman, 2. Graham, 3. Pauch, 4. McGough, 5. Wells, 6. Williams, 7. Davis, 8. Spencer, 9. Warner, 10. Haggenbottom. SPIN TECH MUFFLERS / STINGER CHASSIS HEAT 3 1. Gardner, 2. Kirby, 3. Yeley, 4. Kaeding, 5. Elliott, 6. Williams, 7. Mitchell, 8. Cody, 9. Brain, 10. Carnathan. JE PISTONS DASH 1. Yeley. 2. Elliott. 3. Griffin. 4. Rutherford. 5. Kruseman. 6. Pauch. 7. L. Jones. 8. Gaunt. B FEATURE 1. Williams, 2. English, 3. Mitchell, 4. T. Jones, 5. Spencer, 6. Cody, 7. Gremett, 8. Lauterborn. 9. DeArmond, 10. Curtis. A FEATURE (30 Laps) 1. Pauch, 2. Yeley, 3. Rutherford, 4. Kruseman, 5. L. Jones, 6. English, 7. Kaeding, 8. Williams, 9. Gaunt, 10. Scott, 11. Elliott, 12. Gardner, 13. Kirby, 14. Cody, 15. Spencer, 16. McGough, 17. Wells, 18. Graham, 19. Mitchell, 20. T. Jones, 21. Griffin, Gremett. Laps Led: Yeley 1-11, Pauch 12- 30 NWWC POINT STANDINGS as of 8/11/02 Cory Kruseman 336 Damion Gardner 327 Richard Griffin 323 J.J. Yeley 290 Bud Kaeding 271 Mike English 245 Rip Williams 227 Tony Elliott 221 Rickie Gaunt 211 Troy Rutherford 211 Mike Kirby 197 Levi Jones 180 Tony Jones 175 John Scott 168 Adam Mitchell 128 Bobby Graham 117 Mike Spencer 110 Bobby Cody 70 Billy Pauch 68 Mike Lauterborn 53 Lance Gremett 53 Charles Davis, Jr. 48 Rodney Argo 47 Jack DeArmond, Jr. 33 Tracy Hines 9 SCRA POINTS as of 8/11/02 CAR NAME HOMETOWN STARTS/ POINTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - 1. 50 Richard Griffin Silver City NM 26 1601 2. 1 Cory Kruseman Ventura CA 24 1335 3. 87 Tony Jones Garden Grove CA 26 1334 4. 3 Rip Williams Yorba Linda CA 26 1295 5. 20 Damion Gardner Concord CA 25 1276 6. 29 Steve Ostling Corona CA 21 1182 7. 83 John Scott Hesperia CA 26 1176 8. 4 Rickie Gaunt Torrance CA 26 1128 9. 5 Mike Kirby Torrance CA 24 1113 10. 6 Mike English Norwalk CA 26 1040 11. 38 Bobby Graham Riverside CA 26 884 12. 7 Jeremy Sherman Phoenix AZ 17 847 13. 61 Troy Rutherford Ojai CA 19 820 14. 94 Charles Davis, Jr Buckeye AZ 25 776 15. 19 Rodney Argo Gardena CA 21 595 16. 25 Gary W. Howard Fontana CA 17 547 17. 44 Mike Spencer Temecula CA 25 508 18. 41 Bobby Cody (R) Costa Mesa CA 26 499 19. 99 Adam Mitchell Escondido CA 21 483 20. 76 J.J. Yeley Phoenix AZ 7 433 |
