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SAN FELIPE, NM, OCTOBER 2, 2004 : The 2004 Sprint Car Racing
Association (SCRA) season and the Non-Wing World Champion (NWWC)
tour came to an end Saturday with what many called the most exciting
race ever held at Hollywood Hills Speedway.
After 40-laps of fierce racing, Damion Gardner took home the
$10,000 first prize, after coming out on top of a thrilling four-car
fight in the closing laps. Gardner wasn't the only driver who had
something to celebrate. One night removed from securing his first
ever NAPA Auto Parts / Auto Trader Magazines SCRA Driving Title,
Rickie Gaunt proudly climbed out of his car as the new NWWC
Champion.
"This rivals one of the biggest paydays that I've had,"
Gardner said, after gathering his second SCRA win of the year.
"I love being back here with the SCRA and love this
organization. They put on good shows as everyone here tonight saw.
" I'd also like to thank the Hollywood Hills people for having
us here. I thought they gave us a good track to run on both nights
and I think the fans got what they wanted, which is really the most
important thing. It's funny what runs through your mind when the
helmets on, but I can remember thinking that if the fans don't like
this, they don't like anything."
Gardner, who earlier in the day helped his team change motors,
started fourth in Ron Chaffin's Temecula Valley Pipe & Supply
#50 Eagle, with JE Pistons Dash winner Johnny Herrera and Steve
Ostling in the front row. Before all the cars could complete the
first lap, Larry Neighbors and Seth Wilson tangled along the front
straight, sending both cars flipping towards the first turn.
Thankfully, neither man was hurt. In fact, Neighbor was able to
restart the race after his second opening lap flips in as many
nights.
Herrera grabbed the lead on the next start with Allan Ballard in
second followed by Charles Davis, Jr., Ostling and Gardner. Gardner
took over the third position on the sixth lap, before moving ahead
of Davis one lap later. Herrera nearly touched the front
straightaway wall coming down to complete lap eight. This put
Gardner in position to challenge Joe & Martha Herrera's Avenger
Chassis #45X for the lead. Taking full advantage of a good run off
the turn four banking, Gardner took the lead on the tenth circuit.
Gardner reached lapped traffic on the 13th lap and, shortly
thereafter, began to extend his lead. Gardner nearly had his race
end seven laps later after Dave Burns spun directly in front of him
in turn one. Left with no place to go, Gardner had no choice but to
run into the spun car. Miraculously, Gardner drove away from the
incident without stopping or sustaining any major damage.
"He (Burns) was fighting another guy for position and I thought
I could get around them on the top," Gardner recalled.
"Just then, he spun backwards up the track and I plugged him in
the side. I don't think it hurt the car, but it could have ended our
night."
Instead of Gardner being eliminated, the stage was now set for one
of the most memorable races in SCRA history. Davis moved his Tony
Smiley / David Zoriki Motorsports #8A Extreme ahead of Herrera on
the restart for second. Then, Davis made the most of a lap 23
restart, and took the lead after a slight Gardner miscue in turn
four. Gaunt also took advantage of the same restart and passed both
Herrera and Gardner.
Gardner was now faced with the unenviable task of passing both of
Tony Smiley's cars if he wanted to win the race. Quickly proving
that he was up to the challenge, Gardner pulled ahead of Gaunt
coming down to complete lap 26. Gardner began pressuring Davis for
the lead for several laps, and just when he appeared to be ready to
make his move he slid wide in turn two six laps from the finish
while working lapped traffic. Gaunt took back the runner-up spot,
seemingly taking Gardner out of contention after the duo momentarily
extended their margin.
But things can change quickly in lapped traffic. With Herrera now in
the middle of a four-car fight for the lead, Gardner and Gaunt
touched Hoosier Tires just before "The Demon" moved into
the second position again on lap 36. With a little more than two
laps to go, Gardner found enough moisture in turn four to blast his
way past Davis for good.
"My car was so awesome tonight. Bruce Bromme, Jr. (crew chief)
gave me a real nice piece tonight and we're having such a great time
because there is nothing better than winning races," Gardner
said. "All those guys did a good job and we just all kept
one-upping each other through the lapped traffic. It was a lot of
fun. Maybe, more fun than we would have liked to have tonight. But,
I worked hard out there and it was the kind of racing I like to
do."
Davis finished second for the fourth time this season. Davis also
finished second behind his teammate in the SCRA and NWWC point
standings. Herrera finished third ahead of Gaunt. Colorado's Rich
Bubak drove his AAI Speed Equipment #9 Twister to a fifth place
finish. Mike Spencer, who finished third in NWWC driver points,
started 16th and finished sixth. As a result, Spencer was named the
KSE Products Hard Charger for the evening. Arizona driver Mike
Martin claimed SCRA & NWWC Rookie of the Year honors.
SCRA RACE #16 - HOLLYWOOD HILLS SPEEDWAY, SAN FELIPE,
NM 10/2
Arizona Race Mart Time Trials
1. Kelly Denison, Denison 9X, 16.71 2. Steve Ostling, Willis 45,
16.96 3. Rickie Gaunt, Smiley 2A, 16.90 4. Bo Baker, Baker 22, 16.91
5. Rick Bubak, Mile High Racing 9, 16.
02 6. Larry Neighbors, Neighbors 29N, 16.75 7. Gary Taylor, Coaklin
5D, 16.78 8. Tony Elliott, Ellis 21, 16.21 9. Seth Wilson, Wilson
17, 16.77 10. Rick Ziehl, Ziehl 20, 16.
46 11. Mike Campbell, Campbell 57X, 16.76 12. Dave Burns, Burns
52NM, 16.
91 13. Mike Spencer, Engstrom 44, 16.42 14. Shon Deskins, Deskins 5,
16.46 15. Leighton Crouch, Crouch 0C, 16.66 16. Tom Ball, Mach-2
Racing 16, 17.15 17. Mike Martin, Martin 57M, 17.41 18. Ronnie
Clark, Clark 33, 17.80 19. Jeremy Sherman, Bryan 77, 17.28 20. Jeff
Brumfield, Jr., Brumfield 5J, 17.48 21. Tim West, West 77D, 17.75
22. Jody Williams, Anderson 78, 17.82 23. Jon Taylor, Taylor 93,
17.84 24. Paul Whitehead, Whitehead 21W, 17.86 25. Jerry Johnston,
Johnston 5DX, 17.03 26. Jimmy Scott, Scott UFO, 17.16 27. Ted
McAdams, McAdams 19, 17.18 28. J.C. Powell, Jr., Powell 8, 17.31 29.
Robert Janson, Smith 10AJ, 17.48
*Note: Charles Davis, Jr., Damion Gardner, Johnny Herrera and Alan
Ballrd transferred to A-Main through Friday's program.
SHAVER ENGINES HEAT 1 (10 Laps)
1. Spencer, 2. G. Taylor, 3. Ziehl, 4. Baker, 5. Denison, 6.
Williams, 7. Johnston, 8. Powell, 9. Ball - No Time
STINGER CHASSIS HEAT 2 (10 Laps)
1. Ostling, 2. Elliott, 3. Bubak, 4. Martin, 5. J. Taylor, 6. Scott,
7. Brumfield, 8. Janson, 9. Campbell - No T
e SPIN TECH MUFFLERS/OVAL TRACK RACING HEAT 3 (10 Laps)
1. Gaunt, 2. Wilson, 3. Clark, 4. West, 5. Neighbors, 6. Crouch, 7.
Burns, 8. Whitehead, 9. McAdams - No T
e JE PISTONS DASH (6 Laps)
1. Herrera, 2. Ostling, 3. Ballard, 4. Gardner, 5. Davis, 6. Gaunt,
7. Denison, 8. Baker- No T
e B-MAIN EVENT (12 Laps)
1. Burns, 2. Crouch, 3. Brumfield, 4. Whitehead, 5. Powell, 6.
Williams, 7. McAdams, 8. Janson, 9. Scott, 10. Johnston, 11. Deskins,
- 3:37
8 A-MAIN EVENT (40 Laps)
1. Gardner, 2. Davis, 3. Herrera, 4. Gaunt, 5. Bubak, 6. Spencer, 7.
Baker, 8. G. Taylor, 9. Ostling, 10. Ballard, 11. Elliott, 12.
Martin, 13. Clark,14. West, 15. Ziehl, 16. Brumfield, 17. J. Taylor,
18. Burns, 19. Crouch,0. Whithead, 21. Powell, 22. Neighbors, 23.
Denison, 24. Wilson - No Time.
Laps Led: Herrera 1-9, Gardner, 10-23, Davis 24-37, Gardner 38
0 *Note: Rickie Gaunt wins 2004 SCRA & NWWC Championsh
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