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Phoenix,
AZ (Sept. 25) Although Mike Kirby has had great success at Manzanita
Speedway, his win in Saturday night’s 5th Annual Hall of Fame Vintage Classic
could rate as an upset considering he beat local ace Jeremy Sherman. Sherman has
been dominant in the past and was driving the car that won last year’s Hall of
Fame Classic.
Sherman made a great charge from his fourth row starting berth but the night
belonged to Kirby who needed the win to retain his second spot in the USAC/CRA
points chase. He entered the night only two points up on Damion Gardner but got
a little breathing room as Gardner finished third.
Charles Davis, Jr., winner of the 2003 Classic, jumped to the lead at the drop
of the green and pulled away from the field in his Extreme Chassis, Tony Smiley
owned machine. Kirby, who started fourth, slipped past Bobby Cody and slowly
closed on Davis. He made a daring pass to lead the 11th lap but Davis was back
in front the next time around.
Davis fell off the pace and Kirby put the Glen Crossno TCR back in front on the
14th lap.
The only yellow flag of the night came after 16 laps had been completed when
points leader Rip Williams blew a right rear while running fourth. Under the
caution Davis and Bob Ream, Jr. joined Williams in the pits to replace tires
that were losing air pressure.
When the green flew to restart the race, Kirby had two lapped cars separating
him from Sherman. He quickly built his lead to just over a second and then
stretched it to 2.38 until he encountered heavy traffic in the closing laps.
Kirby was held up briefly and Sherman cut the lead to 1.28 seconds but then the
same traffic slowed his move to the front. Kirby was 2.57 seconds in front when
he took the checkered flag ending the 30 lap affair.
Rickie Gaunt, up from sixth, finished fourth and Troy Rutherford drove out of
the fifth row to finish fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Mike Spencer,
Williams, Ream, Davis and Nathan High.
The six event card was accident free as the fast track provided the 34 car field
a chance to display the talent expected from the USAC/CRA drivers.
The night started off with Sherman taking fast time honors at 18.944 just a tick
of the clock faster than Steve Ostling’s 19.971. A total of 22 drivers
qualified less than a second slower than Sherman’s fast time lap.
The top four cars from each heat earned spots in the feature and then the
fastest eight drivers started the feature inverted.
For local drivers made the feature in the first heat. Davis and Ream started in
the third row in the first ten lap heat and Davis took a narrow win over Ream
with Sherman, who started eighth, taking third and the final transfer position
went to pole sitter Mike Leslie.
The second heat saw Kevin Urton jump to the front at the green flag. He then
held off Darren Hagen, Bobby Cody and Greg Bragg.
Rick Ziehl started third in the third heat but had the lead when the cars came
off the second turn of the opening lap. He was still in front at the finish line
with Nathan High, making his first USAC/CRA start, taking second after starting
fifth. Rip Williams came out of the back row to nail down third just ahead of
Damion Gardner who started beside him.
Kirby gave an indication of things to come with a strong run from seventh to
first in the final heat. Keith Williamson led the first six laps before Kirby,
the 1993 CRA champion, took command. Williamson was second, Gaunt third and
Brandon Lane fourth.
The 12 lap semi gave four more drivers positions in the feature. Steve Ostling
made it a no contest affair with a wire to wire win over fellow front row
starter Troy Rutherford, Brian Venard and Mike Spencer.
Five members of the motorsports fraternity were inducted into the Arizona
Motorsports Hall of Fame just before the feature. Late Model Stock Car aces Carl
Trimmer and Dick Moeller were joined by many time Motorcycle champion Jon
Sellers. Alvin Clark and Jimmy Blanton were inducted for their long time
outstanding contribution to the sport.
A field of over 20 Vintage cars put on four exhibition races and had other cars
on display.
The USAC/CRA field will be joined by the USAC National championship drivers in
the upcoming Budweiser/NAPA Western World Championships November 4-6 on
Manzy’s half mile track. A large field of 360 c.i. sprint cars will also be
part of the Western with their races contested on the one third mile track.
SUMMARY
Fast Time: Jeremy Sherman, 18.944 (95.016 m.p.h.)
1st Heat: 1. Charles Davis, Jr. 2. Bob Ream, Jr. 3. Jeremy Sherman 4. Mike
Leslie 5. Troy Rutherford 6. Justin Fisher 7. Alex Pruett 8. Bugs Norbury 9.
Nadine Keller (10 laps, Time: 3:19.42)
2nd Heat: 1. Kevin Urton 2. Darren Hagen 3. Bobby Cody 4. Greg Bragg 5. Mike
Spencer 6. Seth Wilson 7. Jeff Henry 8. Steve Ostling (10 laps, Time: 3:24.00)
3rd Heat: 1. Rick Ziehl 2. Nathan High 3. Rip Williams 4. Damion Gardner 5.
Brian Venard 6. R.J. Johnson 7. Bruce St. James 8. Jeff Slinkard (10 laps, Time:
3:21.52)
4th Heat: 1. Mike Kirby 2. Keith Williamson 3. Rickie Gaunt 4. Brandon Lane 5.
David Cardey 6. Ronnie Clark 7. Paul Norbury 8. Matthew Rossi (10 laps, Time:
3:23.51)
Semi Main: 1. Steve Ostling 2. Troy Rutherford 3. Brian Venard 4. Mike Spencer
5. Ronnie Clark 6. David Cardey 7. R.J. Johnson 8. Jeff Slinkard 9. Justin
Fisher 10. Seth Wilson 11. Jeff Henry 12. Paul Norbury 13. Bruce St. James 14.
Nadine Keller 15. Bugs Norbury (12 laps, Time: 4:13.61)
Main Event: 1. Mike Kirby 2. Jeremy Sherman 3. Damion Gardner 4. Rickie Gaunt 5.
Troy Rutherford 6. Mike Spencer 7. Rip Williams 8. Bob Ream, Jr. 9. Charles
Davis, Jr. 10. Nathan High 11. Brian Venard 12. Rick Ziehl 13. Greg Bragg 14.
Kevin Urton 15. Bobby Cody 16. Keith Williamson 17. Steve Ostling 18. Brandon
Lane 19. Darren Hagen 20. Mike Leslie (30 laps, no time)
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