|
Traditional Sprint Car FanSite |
See You At The Races!!! |
| Press Release |
|
|
|
KRUSEMAN RETURNS TO BATTLE KIRBY
& WILLIAMS AT PERRIS! |
|
(SEPTEMBER 14, 2004, PERRIS, CA) Fresh off a victory in the USAC National Sprint
Car Series at Route 66 Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, Ventura’s Cory Kruseman
will be at Perris Auto Speedway this Saturday night to battle Valvoline USAC/CRA
Series points leaders Rip Williams and Mike Kirby in the Budweiser Dirt Cup
presented by Temecula Valley Pipe & Supply and Vista Paint. Kruseman, who will celebrate his 34th birthday on Monday, thrilled the crowd in his last appearance at The PAS on August 21st. Starting near the back of a star studded 30-lap main, Kruseman suffered a flat tire early in the race. Speedy work by the Mark Alexander crew during a caution period got him back on the track, but he had to restart dead last. What happened after that had to be seen to be believed. Kruseman bobbed and weaved his way through the traffic in a dazzling exhibition of sprint car mastery. With five laps to go he found himself in second place, but he was a half straightway behind race long leader Jason York. In the most dramatic charge in the tracks nine-season history, Kruseman hacked away at York’s massive advantage and caught him in the final bend. With a huge Saturday night crowd on It’s collective feet and hollering, Kruseman pulled alongside York coming out of turn four and finished less than a half length shy as they flashed under the Eddie Ramirez checkered flag. This week Kruseman jumps into the middle of the “Mike Kirby, Rip Williams and Mike Spencer Show.” Last Saturday, for the second week in a row, the fast driving trio posted an identical top three finish in the 30-lap main event. For Kirby, who led all 30 laps last Saturday, it was his fifth Valvoline USAC/CRA win of the year. Four of those victories have come at The PAS. It was also his second win in two weeks after a near four-month victory draught in the series. Saturday’s triumph vaulted the Torrance resident to second in points over Concord’s Damion Gardner who crashed early in the race. Williams, a wily 48-year old from Yorba Linda, had a precarious 11-point advantage over Gardner when the series visited The PAS on August 21st. When the action returned to Perris last Saturday night, he had advanced that lead to 55-points over Gardner. Heading into this Saturday’s race, he has a 91-point lead over Kirby. Spencer is one of the best young drivers on the West Coast. The 23-year old from Temecula, who is only two credits shy of earning his engineering degree at Cal Poly Pomona, nearly won his first series main two weeks ago at Ventura. He led the first 28-laps with a left rear tire that was nearly flat the entire race! Kruseman, Williams, Kirby, Gardner and Spencer will be joined by the likes of Australian Peter Murphy, Corona stars Tony Jones & Steve Ostling, Bobby Cody of Costa Mesa, Ojai’s Troy Rutherford, Greg Bragg of Visalia, Long Beach veteran Jordan Hermansador, Irvine’s Brian Venard and hundreds of Marines from Camp Pendleton, 29 Palms, Miramar and San Diego as The PAS salutes the United States Marine Corps on Saturday. Spectator gates will open at 5:00 PM Saturday and the first race will begin at 7:00. Perris Auto Speedway is conveniently located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds, home of the Southern California Fair, approximately one hour east of Los Angeles. Take the 215 Freeway, exit at the Ramona Expressway and go east two and a half miles to the fairgrounds. For more information on this or any other event at Perris Auto Speedway events, please call (909) 940-0134. VALVOLINE USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS 1. Rip Williams – Yorba Linda, CA – 1,199 2. Mike Kirby – Torrance, CA – 1,108 3. Damion Gardner – Concord, CA – 1,098 4. Troy Rutherford – Ojai, CA – 824 5. Tony Jones – Corona, CA – 680 6. Greg Bragg – Visalia, CA - 679 7. Steve Ostling – Corona, CA – 659 8. Bobby Cody – Costa Mesa, CA - 633 9. Brian Venard – Irvine, CA – 599 10. Jordan Hermansador – Long Beach, CA - 590 |
