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Jeff
Gardner Takes CASA’s Inaugural Mike McCreary 100 |
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7-2-05
– Carson City, NV...Fresno
California’s Jeff Gardner continued his CASA hot streak on this Fourth of July
weekend posting a hard fought, caution filled 100 lap victory, almost exactly
one year to the date of sprint car legend Mike McCreary’s last race before
being diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, as the California Asphalt
Sprintcar Association presented the inaugural Mike McCreary 100 at the same
Champion Speedway where McCreary both began (1964) and finished (2004) his
stellar career. Gardner,
emotionally accepted both the track’s feature win trophy, specially crafted
for this event, as well as the newly minted Mike McCreary Memorial 100 Perpetual
Trophy, presented by the McCreary family. The beautiful award, donated and
designed by a joint effort led by Don Erickson and fellow CASA members was given
to Mike’s widow, Carla. Jeff Gardner’s name will be engraved on the pedestal
in the number one position and the trophy will remain on permanent display at
McCreary’s Oval Chassis Research/CASA offices. Nick
Rescino Jr. out-paced the 16-car field in time trials, setting fast time at
12.31 to take qualifying honors and the four bonus points for fast time. In
the “Dash For Cash”, also featuring a McCreary commemorative plaque destined
to the winner, pole sitter Trever Cummins, by virtue of drawing the ace from the
deck for starting order, led briefly, however Rescino found his way past on the
back stretch. Soon after, Gardner began applying pressure to Rescino’s #11,
and Gardner in his black #51 made a smooth pass for the win and collected the
$100 bonus over Rescino, Cummins, rookie Jessica Helberg with her best
qualification effort to date, Northwest visitor Pat Bliss in Butch Freeman’s
#01 and Glenn Hopper. Main
event action began with a fully inverted field and CASA President Scott Clough
lead the “Tire Burning Thunder” of the California Sprinters down the high
banks of the venerable quarter-mile oval and to the green flag, edging past
front row starter Joe Hauck, Clough led until the first of several cautions flew
for Amy Barnes and Gardner on lap three. Gardner made a quick tire change to
return to action however a lengthy wait for Barnes repairs delayed resumption of
racing for a spell. After dozens of uncounted yellows the green was unfurled and
rookie Nick Green, fresh from his first CASA win, pounced to the front where he
would stay for a considerable portion of the event. Smooth and composed, Green
endured a few restarts for cautions involving Helberg, Rescino, Clough, Eric
Silsby in the second Barnes car #42, Allen Beck making his maiden voyage aboard
his dads #46 and Hauck’s #99. Most were solo spins or minor shunts although
Rescino sustained damage in his mishap, he was able to make hasty repairs during
cautions and maintain his lead lap status. As a
promoters option all laps were to be green flag, no yellows were counted towards
the total, and the defending CASA and Nevada State Champion Rescino was able to
play the option to his advantage in overcoming his early problems. Green
continued to lead at the halfway point over Gardner, Ryan Baumgartner,
impressive in the former McCreary mount now in the Joe Hauck stable and
renumbered 24, in third, Hopper who despite a case of bronchitis/pneumonia
gamely worked his McCreary-built Oval Chassis Research car to fourth from 14th
on the grid, and 2003 CASA champ Tony Iacobitti aboard the beautiful OCR
“Omega Beauty” #71, the last car ever built by McCreary in fifth. With
well over $2000 dollars in lap money, several hundred donated by fans in the
stands right up to race time, Green kept picking up filled envelopes with each
lap he led. However, with many more laps to go and the biggest lap money looming
for McCreary’s traditional number 71 lap, over $900 at post time, Green
suddenly found extra pressure from behind in the form of the “Fresno Flash”
behind the wheel of the potent #51. Gardner zipped past Green on lap 70 to lead
lap 71. The roar of the knowing crowd could be heard above the engines as the
caution fell on lap 72. Barnes and Silsby both returned to the event under the
caution. At
the three-quarter mark Gardner held fast to the point over a relentless Green,
Rescino who made his way back into the hunt, Hopper who dispatched Baumgartner
to fifth and Iacobitti all held to the lead lap and were all within the same
half of the track dicing in and out of lapped traffic in an exciting scrap. With
a scant two laps remaining Baumgartner collected Iacobitti in a two-car spin
bringing out the final caution and setting the stage for a two-lap dash for the
win. Gardner was not to be denied as the green-white-checker flags all fluttered
before the shinny black #51 Beast to end an impressive drive and collect the
largest purse in CASA history. Green ran an excellent second, Rescino a hard
worked for third, Hopper fourth, Iacobitti fifth over Baumgartner in sixth to
complete the 100-lap distance. Despite
the early spin that essentially caused her to loose the lead lap, Jessica
Helberg was always among the leaders and ran perhaps her most impressive race to
record 99 laps and finish seventh over Clough in eighth, Bliss in ninth, and
Silsby rounding out the top ten. Joe Hauck recorded an 11th over
Marvin Mitchell and Amy Barnes, the 13th car running at the
completion of the feature. Allen Beck ran well until front-end damage ended his
first sprint car race and he was credited with 14th over Earle
Stanton who suffered engine woes for the second straight race and Cummins who
had a major overheating problem and had to retire early as well. CASA
makes their second visit to Madera Speedway on Saturday, July 9th as
a make up for the spring date lost to rain earlier this season. The “Tire
Burning Thunder” of the California Sprint Cars is excited to return to the
immaculate third-mile facility. Please visit www.casaracing.com
for more information on all CASA activities. 7-2-05
CASA Results QUALIFYING TROPHY
DASH 100
LAP MAIN EVENT POINT STANDINGS 7-2-05
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