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| Press Release |
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2003 SCRA YEAR IN REVIEW |
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LAKEWOOD, CA, NOVEMBER 23, 2003 - For the fifth time in six years, New Mexico's Richard Griffin won the NAPA Auto Parts / Auto Trader Magazines SCRA Driving Championship. Even though Griffin drove to victory five times, consistency once again proved to be the formula for yet another title run. Driving to a pair of wins at Manzanita Speedway (AZ), and single wins at Perris Auto Speedway (CA), Lakeside Speedway (KS) and Hollywood Hills Speedway (NM), Griffin registered 23 top-five finishes and won a series-high six JE Pistons Passing Masters Dash wins. Griffin also took home the overall Passing Masters Dash point title and was the Sander Engineering Fast Qualifier five times. With Bruce Bromme, Jr. once again turning the wrenches, Griffin gave car owner Ron Chaffin his eighth SCRA owners' crown in nine years. Damion Gardner joined forces with Harlan Willis and finished second in series points thanks to a hard-fought third place finish in the final race of the year. Starting the season as the hottest sprint car driver in the country, Gardner posted six wins in his first 12 races with Willis, but would not find victory lane again after his July 26th victory at Perris. Of his series-high seven wins, all but one came at Perris. In his two Thunderbowl Raceway starts, Gardner registered a first and second place finish. During the year, Gardner won eleven heat races and was the fastest qualifier four times. Troy Rutherford began his first full year with owner Mark Priestley' by driving his car to a win in the season opener at Perris in February. Early in the year, Rutherford had one of the strangest streaks in racing, finishing fourth in six straight races. Rutherford led the SCRA points standing until Griffin moved ahead of everyone for good during the April 5th event at Thunderbowl Raceway (CA). During the SCRA Midwest tour, Rutherford notched his second win of the year during the event at Tri-City Speedway (IL). Rutherford and Priestley combined for 19 top-five finishes and went on to finish a close third in series points. Rip Williams and car owner Sharon Jory had an up and down year, but still managed to come home fourth in series points. On July 4th, Williams won the "Firecracker 50" at Perris and became the first driver to register 60 SCRA feature wins. Williams would win another 50-lapper at Perris on Labor Day weekend, giving him three wins on the season. During the year, Williams established a new season record when he won his 15th heat race at Ventura (CA) in October. Spending most of the year driving for Hal Engstrom, Mike Spencer emerged as one of the best young drivers on the circuit. Still looking for that elusive first win, Spencer posted three third-place finishes at Perris and was fifth in series points. Bud Kaeding's SCRA action was limited to Ron Shuman's 14-race Non-Winged World Championship (NWWC) series. Even though he had some poor finishes in his first two starts, Kaeding never finished outside the top-three in the final six events and went on to win the $16,000 bonus for winning the overall NWWC Championship. During this run, Kaeding scored preliminary main event wins at the Western World Championships at Manzanita Speedway and at the Oval Nationals at Perris. Cory Kruseman finished second in NWWC points and won six main events on the year, including the $30,000 to win Oval Nationals. In just 22 starts, Kruseman posted 12 top-five finishes and won main events for three different car owners. Kruseman's win at Thunderbowl Raceway came behind the wheel of Cory Witherill's sprinter, while his victories at Highland (IL) Speedway and Godfrey (IL) Speedway were in Tony Stewart's car. Kruseman also picked up a win at Perris and at Ventura (CA) Raceway driving for Mark Alexander. Mike Kirby made only ten starts driving for Alexander, but still managed to pick up wins at Perris and at Manzanita Speedway. Steve Ostling and Tony Jones finished sixth and seventh respectively in SCRA points. Ostling drove the Fischer Motorsports entry to victory at Perris in September and Jones piloted Johnny Vermeer's car to wins at Perris and Ventura in October. Rickie Gaunt was the highest driver in series points who didn't score a feature win during the year. Finishing eighth overall, Gaunt posted 18 top-ten finishes, including podium runs at Thunderbowl Raceway and Manzanita Speedway. Mike English ran as Williams' teammate for most of the year and won three Passing Masters Dashes. English, who wound up ninth in series points, jumped into the Alexander ride at Perris in September and earned his third third-place finish on the year. Josh Ford finished tenth in SCRA points and was the SCRA and NWWC Rookie of the Year. En route to the Granitize Products / Jeff Bagley Memorial Award, Ford was the fast qualifier at Perris and during the SCRA's only Hollywood Hills Speedway appearance. Ford finished in the top-five on two occasions (Perris and Ventura) and won eight heat races. J.J. Yeley was the class of the Midwestern portion of the SCRA / NWWC tour. In
just seven starts, Yeley won the Terre Haute (IN) event and only finished
outside of the top-four once. Yeley went on to finish third in NWWC
points. Jeremy Sherman won the Gary Sokola Classic at Manzanita Speedway in
March and finished third behind Tony Elliott and Kaeding in the Western World
Championships in November. Jac Haudenschild returned to SCRA's winner
circle for the first time since 1999 with his win at Perris. |
