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GARDNER GETS "SMALL TRACK" WIN AT
VENTURA |
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VENTURA, CA, AUGUST 31, 2002 - On a night when everyone leading a lap in the main event appeared to be cursed, it seemed only appropriate that Damion Gardner, who has been nicknamed "The Demon", would be the one to come away with a hard-fought 40-lap NAPA Auto Parts / Auto Trader Magazines SCRA win. Gardner's win from the 14th starting spot comes in just his second Ventura Raceway visit. "It didn't look so good for us after qualifying, " said Gardner of his run that left him 18th fastest in time trials. "We're fast on the big tracks, and we recognized that we weren't as fast on the smaller tracks. Since we've done so well on the big tracks, I think some people felt I was just a gasser who couldn't get it done on the smaller tracks. We've really only been to three small tracks (without a wing), so we haven't had a fair shot at having a good car, but my guys were able to give me a strong car for the heat race, and from there we just fine-tuned it for the main event." Rickie Gaunt won his third JE Pistons of the year and led the first 17 laps of the race before local favorite Cory Kruseman grabbed the lead at the flagstand moments before the caution flag flew for debris on the back straight. Shortly after the restart, Gaunt became the first victim of the lap leader jinx after his car suddenly shot up the banking and flipped after hitting the turn one wall. Gaunt was not injured. Kruseman ran into his leader problems on a lap 22 restart, and slid to a stop after bicycling in turn three. Rip Williams assumed the lead on the restart. Williams' lead would only last one full circuit after Tony Jones, who started ninth, swooped around the outside of "The Ripper" exiting turn four. Jones' stint as leader would come to an end on lap 32 when he was unable to avoid the spun cars driven by Cory Witherill, Mike Kirby and Gary W. Howard. The subsequent impact ended Jones' quest for a second straight Ventura victory. Kruseman's night also ended as a result of being involved in a separate incident trying to avoid the same pack of cars. By this time, Gardner had his Coy Construction No. 20 Eagle up to second place and was chasing Jones for the lead when he found the racing surface blocked, as well. Gardner survived without stopping thanks to a quick decision to head into the infield. "We were both running up stairs, and really on the gas, and there was just a little bit of glare from the lights. The next thing I knew, Tony was going backwards into the (third) turn, so I just dove down to the bottom thinking the crash must be up high," Gardner recalled. "It just seemed like every time a guy got into the lead tonight he had some problems. Crashing out is always a problem here. You just have to wait for things to settle down and then make your moves. It's unfortunate for all those guys that fell out tonight, but that's the way it is at Ventura." Of all of the "unfortunate" former leaders that dropped out, Williams' exit was, without a doubt, the most severe. Battling hard with Steve Ostling for second after the restart, their two cars tangled along the back straight on lap 36 sending Williams into a frightening series of barrel-roll flips. Just as his car finished flipping, Williams was also hit hard by fifth place Richard Griffin. Once again showing his toughness, the 46 year-old Williams emerged from his battered mount and walked back to the pit area. Griffin returned to finish eighth. Ostling, who started eleventh, drove hard in the final laps after the restart to catch Gardner, but had to settle for giving his Fischer Motorsports / Stress Relief Engineering No. 29 Okie it's seventh runner-up finish of the season. Illinois driver Levi Jones drove Carol Crossno's Yucaipa Auto & Trailer No. 38 TCR to his first SCRA podium finish. Mike English finished fourth in the Sharon Jory / Tomarco Fasteners No. 6 Stinger ahead of Casey Shuman, who recovered from a lap 26 front straightaway spin to earn his first top-five finish in the Bill Pratt / Blair's High Performance No. 12 Drake. Other drivers that had SCRA personal bests were Jack DeArmond, Jr. (9th) and 16 year-old Allan Ballard (11th). In Sander Engineerin Time Trials, Jarrett Chaney and car owner Lee Robison teamed-up to earn their first SCRA fast time award. SCRA RACE #30 - VENTURA RACEWAY, VENTURA, CA Date of Race: 08/31/02 SANDER ENGINEERING TIME TRIALS 1. Jarrett Chaney, Clovis CA, Robison 42R , 11.997 2. Tony Jones, Garden Grove CA, Vermeer/Jones 87 , 12.117 3. Richard Griffin, Silver City NM, Chaffin 50 , 12.131 4. Mike English, Norwalk CA, Jory 6 , 12.231 5. Rip Williams, Yorba Linda CA, Jory 3 , 12.244 6. Cory Kruseman, Ventura CA, Willis 1 , 12.270 7. Rickie Gaunt, Torrance CA, Alexander 4 , 12.326 8. Jeremy Sherman, Phoenix AZ, Priestley 7, 12.370 9. Casey Shuman, Tempe AZ, Pratt 12 , 12.461 10. Rodney Argo, Gardena CA, Argo 19 , 12.470 11. Gary W. Howard, Fontana CA.,Ruth 25 , 12.470 12. Michael Hinrichsen, Lakeside CA, Lake Mtrsprts. 16 , 12.479 13. Steve Ostling, Corona CA.,Fischer Mtrspts 29 , 12.541 14. Mike Kirby, Torrance CA, Geurin 5 , 12.586 15. Mike Spencer, Temecula CA.,Engstrom 44 , 12.601 16. Josh Ford, Camarillo CA, Ito/Ford 73J , 12.623 17. Jack DeArmond, Jr., Corona CA, DeArmond, Jr. 24 , 12.649 18. Damion Gardner, Concord CA, Gardner 20 , 12.665 19. Cory Witherill, Santa Monica CA.,Witberill 61 , 12.694 20. Jordan Hermansader, Long Beach CA, Lancaster 14 , 12.776 21. Verne Sweeney, Lomita CA, Sweeney 98 , 12.873 22. Mike Faria, Tipton CA, Faria 4F , 12.883 23. Mel Murphy, Woodcrest CA., Murphy 62 , 12.939 24. Levi Jones, Olney IL, Crossno 38 , 13.033 25. Steve Gresham, Thousand Oaks CA, Gresham 07 , 13.094 26. Steve Chuhaloff, Camarillo CA, Camland Mtrspts 25C , 13.132 27. Alan Ballard, Bakersfield CA., Ballard 97 , 13.144 28. Ron Bach, Ventura CA, Bach 49K , 13.205 29. Dan Hillberg, Whittier CA, Hillberg 82 , 13.210 30. David Sprigg, Sacramento CA, Sprigg 44D , 13.285 31. Dan Tedrick, Hesperia CA, Tedrick 88 , 13.322 32. Eric Severson, (R) Westchester CA, Miller 66 , 13.379 33. Tom Wilhelm, (R) Temecula CA, Wilhelm 64 , 13.599 34. Kevin Mahoney, Stockton CA, Kruseman 1K , 13.924 35. Shaun Corbert, Kruseman 1C , 14.422 36. Bobby Cody, (R) Costa Mesa CA, Cody 41, No Time HEAT 1 1. Steve Ostling, 2. Rip Williams, 3. Verne Sweeney, 4. Jack DeArmond, Jr,, 5. Casey Shuman, 6. Steve Gresham, 7. Tom Wilhelm, 8. Jarrett Chaney, 9. Dan Hillberg, HEAT 2 1. Damion Gardner, 2. Cory Kruseman, 3. Mike Kirby, 4. Rodney Argo, 5. Tony Jones, 6. Mike Faria, 7. Steve Chubaloff, 8. Kevin Mahoney, 9. David Sprigg, HEAT 3 1. Gary W. Howard, 2. Richard Griffin, 3. Rickie Gaunt, 4. Cory Witherill, 5. Mike Spencer, 6. Dan Tedrick, 7. Shaun Corbert, 8. Mel Murphy, 9. Alan Ballard, HEAT 4 1. Mike English, 2. Jeremy Sherman, 3. Levi Jones, 4. Jordan Hermansader, 5. Josh Ford, 6. Ron Bach, 7. Michael Hinrichsen, 8. Eric Severson, DASH 1. Rickie Gaunt. 2. Jeremy Sherman. 3. Cory Kruseman. 4. Rip Williams. 5. Mike English. 6. Gary W. Howard. 7. Rodney Argo. 8. Richard Griffin. B FEATURE 1. Tony Jones. 2. Casey Shuman, 3. Alan Ballard. 4. Dan Hillberg. 5. Bobby Cody. 6. Mike Spencer. 7. Michael Hinrichsen, B. Eric Severson. 9. Tom Wilhelm. 10. Dan Tedrick. 11. Kevin Mahoney. 12, David Sprigg. 13. Shaun Corbert. 14. Steve Gresham. 15. Ron Bach. 16. Jarrett Chaney. 17. Josh Ford. 18. Mel Murphy. 19. Mike Faria. 20. Steve Chuhaloff, A FEATURE (40 Laps) 1. Damion Gardner. 2. Steve Ostling. 3. Levi Jones. 4. Mike English, 5. Casey Shuman, 6. Mike Kirby, 7. Jeremy Sherman. 8. Richard Griffin. 9. Jack DeArmond, Jr.. 10. Verne Sweeney. 11. Alan Ballard. 12. Jordan Hermansader. 13. Dan Hillberg. 14. Cory Witherill. 15. Rip Williams. 16. Tony Jones. 17. Gary W. Howard. 18. Cory Kruseman. 19. Rickie Gaunt, 20. Rodney Argo. Laps Led: Gaunt 1-17, Kruseman 18-22, Williams 23, T. Jones 24-31, Gardner 32-40 |
