Those drivers who race with the Arizona Sprint Car Association who  are feeling frustatations over the dominance of their division by Jeremy Sherman can take solace in the fact that they are not alone. He has been just as tough with the Arizona Midget Racing Association and is looking forward to another shot the California Sprint cars on September 27.

            Sherman decimated the 32 car field Saturday night with one of his best drives of the year. Last week he started 12^th and did not take the lead until the nineteenth lap. Saturday night he came out of the sixth row, had the lead on the sixth lap and with no caution flags to slow him lapped all but seven drivers in the 20 car starting field in the 25 lap feature.

            Sherman’s first start of the year came in the Gary Sokola Classic for the SCRA. He borrowed a 410 c.i. engine from Steve Cushman and won the race for the second year in a row. He bummed a ride in the Stacey Fuller car and finished second a week later but did not win an ASCA event until he drove Tim Beal’s car to the winner’s circle on April 26.

            Sherman sat out until May 31 when he took the Bob Price car to a 14^th place finish. His season really did not start until Dave Ellis finally received an engine for the 21j car for the July 26 outing which he won. Since then it has been an awesome run. His win Saturday night was his fourth straight, his sixth in the last seven events. His streak is marred only by a fifth place finish on August 16.

            The Saturday night card featured two different tracks. The heat races and the semi main was strictly a low groove track but after a brief sprinkle from the water truck it was again a “pushing the cushion” main event.

            Ashley Corey, making only his second start of the year, beat R.J. Johnson into the first turn and led the first three laps before Ricky Johnson, up from tenth took over. Johnson, locked in a tight battle for the points lead, led only two laps before Sherman used one his patented slide jobs, wrested the lead from him.

            It did not take long for Sherman to get in traffic where he is a master. He opened up a straightaway lead over Johnson who slipped over the cushion with about five laps to go and dropped to fifth. Bob Ream, Jr. took up the chase but had to settle for his best finish of the year as he beat Eric Wilkins for the second place money. Brandon Lane started fourth and was in that position at Dave Cushman’s checkered flag. Johnson’s fifth place finish was one better that Josh Pelkey who is closing in on Ricky’s points lead. Nathan High was the last car on the lead lap in seventh. Mike Martin, Davey Bateman and Paul Norbury rounded out the top ten.

            The time for the 25 lapper was 7:12.05.

Pelkey cut Johnson’s point margin from 36 to 21 when he bested Sherman in the trophy dash.  Both contenders for the driving title were second in their heats and Johnson moved back to a 26 point edge by beating Josh in the feature.

            Paul Norbury won the trophy dash with Joey Moriarity, Jay Ervine and Jeff Henry earning the other main event transfer spots.

            Lane beat Ream, Corey and Bernie Smith in the first eight lap heat race; Sherman was ahead of Johnson, Wilkins and Andy Reinbold in the second heat’ High kept Pelkey, Bugs Norbury and Willy Grombach at bay in the third heat and R.J. Johnson was better than Jeff Branaman, Bateman and Martin in the final heat.

            Although plagued by yellow flags through the preliminary races the only serious accident carme in the semi when cars stacked up following a restart and Buddy Earle went end over end. He was uninjured.

ASCA SUMMARY

Main Event: 
1. Jeremy Sherman 2. Bob Ream, Jr. 3. Eric Wilkins 4. Brandon Lane 5. Ricky Johnson 6. Josh Pelkey 7. Nathan High 8. Mike Martin 9. Davey Bateman 10. Paul Norbury 11. Bugs Norbury 12. Ashley Corey 13. Jeff Henry 14. Jay Ervine 15. R.J. Johnson 16. Bernie Smith 17. Joey Moriarity 18. Willy Grombach 19. Andy Reinbold 20. Jeff Branaman (25 laps-Time: 7:12.05)

Lap leaders: laps 1-3 Corey, laps 4-5, Ricky Johnson, laps 6-25 Sherman

Semi Main: 
1. Paul Norbury 2. Joey Moriarity 3. Jay Ervine 4. Jeff Henry 5. Justin Fisher 6. Bruce St. James 7. Scott Pasmore 8. Darren Hagen 9. Jesse Dunham 10. Mike Keumper 11. J.T. Imprial 12. Chuck Buckman 13. Brian Hacker 14. Tim Beal 15. Shon Deskins 16. Buddy Earle

1^st Heat: 
1. Brandon Lane 2. Bob Ream, Jr. 3. Ashley Corey 4. Bernie Smith 5. Paul Norbury 6. Justin Fisher 7. Tim Beal 8. Buddy Earle

2^nd Heat: 
1. Jeremy Sherman 2. Ricky Johnson 3. Eric Wilkins 4. Andy Reinbold 5. Bruce St. James 6. Jay Ervine 7. Jeff Henry 8. Chuck Buckman

3^rd Heat: 
1. Nathan High 2. Josh Pelkey 3. Bugs Norbury 4. Willy Grombach 5. Brian Hacker 6. Mike Keumper 7. J.T. Imperial 8. Joey Moriarity

4^th Heat: 
1. R.J. Johnson 2. Jeff Branaman 3. Davey Bateman 4. Mike Martin 5. Jesse Dunham 6. Shon Deskins 7. Darren Hagen 8. Scott Pasmore

Trophy Dash: 
1. Josh Pelkey 2. Jeremy Sherman 3. Davey Bateman 4. Bob Ream, Jr.

ASCA UNOFFICIAL POINTS

1.         Ricky Johnson                        3256

2.         Josh Pelkey              3210

3.         Eric Wilkins             2956

4.         Jeremy Sherman            2744

5.         Jay Ervine               2607

6.         Bugs Norbury                       2601

7.         Davey Bateman            2450

8.         R.J. Johnson                        2435

9.         Paul Norbury                       2420