LAKEWOOD, CA, NOVEMBER 28, 2002 - Richard Griffin walked away with his fourth NAPA Auto Parts / Auto Trader Magazines SCRA Driving Championship in the last five years. Leading the way with 22 top-five finishes, Griffin never looked back once he took the point lead on June 15th at Santa Maria Speedway (CA) after gathering his first of six wins on the season. In addition to posting another Santa Maria victory later in the year, Griffin also took checkered flags at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (NV), Thunderbowl Raceway (Tulare, CA) and at the Perris Auto Speedway (CA). Griffin's most dramatic win of the season came at Lincoln Speedway (New Oxford, PA) with a thrilling last corner pass during the Non-Winged World Championship (NWWC) tour.

Registering eight top-five in 13 NWWC starts, Griffin went on to claim his third straight NWWC title. With Bruce Bromme, Jr. once again turning the wrenches, Griffin's consistency provided car owner Ron Chaffin with his seventh owners' crown in eight years. Griffin also had the distinction of being the only driver to start every SCRA & NWWC main event in 2002.

Griffin was one of six drivers to lead the SCRA point standings during the year. Driving for Johnny Vermeer and Bubby Jones, who formed a team only days before the start of the season, Tony Jones took the point lead after the third race of the season. Looking like the man to beat early in the season, Jones won three of the first eleven races. Despite finishing second in series points, Jones fell on hard times after his fourth, and final, victory of the season in July. Three of Jones' wins came at Perris; the other, came during the running of the Jeff Bagley Classic at Ventura in May. In all, Jones finished fifth or better 17 times and won the KSE Products Hard Charger Award five times.

Without a doubt the surprise of the 2002 season was Damion Gardner. Not really planning on being an SCRA regular at the start of the season, Gardner shed his wing and quickly became one of the most exciting drivers on the circuit. Picking up wins at Perris, Williams Grove Speedway (PA), Ventura and Manzanita Speedway (Phoenix, AZ), Gardner placed third in SCRA points and was fifth in NWWC points. He also led all drivers in heat race wins (12), fast times (10), dash wins (5) and main-event laps led (224). During the year, Gardner drove for five different car owners, including his own car that he used to establish a new one-lap track record at Perris (15.954) on Halloween night.

Rip Williams came on strong at the end of the season to finish fourth in series points, while posting three wins (Santa Maria, Ventura and Perris) in the process. Williams celebrated his 25th sprint car season by winning his 58th SCRA main event in November to lead all drivers in career SCRA wins. Williams and Jory also combined to win the season-long JE Pistons Passing Masters Dash Championship.

Like Jones, Cory Kruseman was hot early, posting four victories from March to June. Taking over the point lead in April, Kruseman was running fourth during the 50-lap "Salute to Indy" at Perris when his Harlan Willis owned car flipped hard after tangling with a lapped car. The flip not only cost him a chance to win the race, but cost him the lead in series points. Despite taking time off from SCRA competition to win the Indiana Sprint Week Championship, Kruseman still finished fifth in series points. During the year, Kruseman also made his Indy Racing League debut (Texas) and his NASCAR Truck debut (Phoenix).

Bud Kaeding only made 16 SCRA starts, but he sure made the most of them, picking up a total of five wins. In fact, his wins at Kansas' Lakeside Speedway ($10,000), the Oval Nationals at Perris ($30,000) and the Western World at Manzanita Speedway ($12,500) resulted in $52,000 in winnings for just those three main events. Kaeding also finished third in NWWC points. Of the four highest paying races on the SCRA/NWWC tour, Kaeding won three of them. The highest paying single-day event victory went to the "Texas Tornado" Travis Rilat, whose win at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa was
worth $30,000.

Mike Kirby's final year in the Brad & Nancy Geurin sprinter ended with him tied with Griffin for the most main event wins (6). Claiming first place honors five times at Perris and once at 67 Raceway Park (Godfrey, IL), Kirby finished fifth or better 16 times in just 37 appearances. Kirby's teammate from a year ago, Rickie Gaunt, joined forces with Mark Alexander. Driving to two wins at Perris and posting 12 top-five finishes, Gaunt placed sixth in series points. Gaunt's 30-lap win on July 4th from the 17th starting spot, was undoubtedly one of the most memorable drives of the year.

Steve Ostling briefly led the SCRA point chase, but was taken out of title contention when his Fischer Motorsports ride was unable to make the eastern portion of the NWWC / SCRA tour. Posting 19 top-five finishes in 34 starts, Ostling would have finished second in series points (instead of seventh) had the eight-race eastern swing not counted in the SCRA point standings. Ostling concluded the best season of his 18-year career by scoring a preliminary win during the Oval Nationals, and by winning the season-ending Jack Kindoll Classic (Perris). Ostling also notched seven runner-up finishes during the year.

Finishing eighth in series points, Mike English finished tenth or better 20 times, including a second place run at Ventura in October. John Scott was the only other driver finishing in the top-ten in series points that didn't find his way to victory lane. Scott's best run of the year was a runner-up finish at Perris in March.

J.J. Yeley won the season open at Perris giving former driver Dwight Cheney his first win as a car owner. Yeley also picked up a NWWC race win in Fremont, Ohio and finished second in NWWC points despite missing one race. Yeley might of had a third win had it not been for a brillant drive by Billy Pauch during the Grandview Speedway (Bechtelsville, PA) event.

Jeremy Sherman started the season driving for Mark Priestley and won both nights of the Gary Sokola Classic at Manzanita Speedway. Driving for Dave Ellis, Sherman was the runner-up finisher in the Western World Championships in November. Troy Rutherford took over the reins of Priestley's car late in the year, and scored a Western World preliminary main event win. One week earlier at Perris, Rutherford had perhaps his best performance of the season coming from the 16th starting spot to finish second in the 100-lap Oval Nationals.

Former speedway motorcycle rider Bobby Cody won the Granitize Products Rookie of the Year as a driver, as well as, a car owner. Setting the Sander Engineering Fast Time at Perris in September, Cody also won Rookie of the Year honors for the NWWC series. Placing 21st in series points, Cody's best run of the year was a sixth place finish (at Perris) in July.

The low point of the 2002 season came on March 8th when George Gervais, who sustained injuries on July 28, 2001 at Perris, died from respiratory complications related to pneumonia. Gervais was 41 years old.

During the 2002 season, 194 different drivers, from 17 states, competed on 13 different dirt tracks through eight states, providing an average car count of 37.

2002 FINAL NWWC POINTS
1 Richard Griffin 760
2 J.J. Yeley 735
3 Bud Kaeding 727
4 Cory Kruseman 630
5 Damion Gardner 600
6 Troy Rutherford 562
7 Rickie Gaunt 544
8 Rip Williams 540
9 Mike English 521
10 Tony Elliott 491
11 Tony Jones 473
12 Levi Jones 420
13 Mike Kirby 402
14 John Scott 376
15 Bobby Graham 295
16 Mike Spencer 290
17 Charles Davis, Jr. 284
18 Adam Mitchell 192
19 Bobby Cody 177
20 Rodney Argo 158