HALLOWEEN TO BE CELEBRATED IN PHOENIX THIS YEAR!!!

The “big” races coming up at Manzy and Perris will be exciting and, of course, finalize the NWWC championship run. J J Yeley has a 37 point lead over Cory Kruseman with Troy Rutherford the highest full time SCRA driver in 5th place and Dale Crossno’s USAC driver, Levi Jones in 4th. This indicates how the slick tracks favored the locals on the Mid West tour in August as the SCRA struggled on unfamiliar territory, but now the SCRA boys are home and on more familiar surfaces and will do better.

It is not likely any one but Kruseman has much of a chance to overtake the USAC record setter Yeley, but that’s why they run the races, to see who will win. I think the Kruser has more to gain and will be hard to beat. Look for The Demon, The Gasman, The Cowboy and The Ripper to do very well with Rambo Rutherford in the mix for both events. I like the Kruser’s chances because he has something to prove and is an even better driver than when he left town to Mopar the Midwest. Remember, the Demon has something to prove as well. It will be a very interesting and most especially exciting, as the SCRA sets out to hold home court advantage. Ya’ gotta be there to cheer on your favorites, as the fans win no matter who wins!!

Here is the line-up for thursday/friday qualifiers from SCRAFAN.COM: WESTERN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ENTRY LIST... MANZANITA SPEEDWAY - PHOENIX, AZ...

410 QUALIFYING - THURSDAY

Car # Driver
1 DON DROUD, JR. Lincoln, NB, 1. TRACY HINES Greenfield, IN, 2A RICKY GAUNT Torrance, CA, 3AZ MARTY WILCOX Phoenix, AZ, 3 RIP WILLIAMS Yorba Linda, CA, 5B JEFF BRANAMAN Sedona, AZ, 7 TROY RUTHERFORD Ojai, CA, 8 BOB REAM, JR. Glendale, AZ, 11X DARREN HAGEN Riverside, CA, 12 GREGG BRAGG Visalia, CA, 16 MATTHEW ROSSI Glendale, AZ, 17 MATT NEELY Robinson, IL, 21 CORY KRUSEMAN Brownsburg, IN, 21J JEREMY SHERMAN Phoenix, AZ, 23 TYLER WALKER, 29K BUD KAEDING Campbell, CA, 33 RONNIE CLARK Tucson, AZ, 37 CASEY SHUMAN Corona, CA, 38 LEVI JONES Olney, IL, 45 DAMION GARDNER Concord, CA, 51 RICKY JOHNSON Phoenix, AZ, 56 BILL GOFORTH Apple Valley, CA, 57 MIKE MARTIN Yuma. AZ, 57X STEVE STONE Mesa, AS, 91AZ JONATHAN VENNARD, 94 CHARLES DAVIS, JR. Buckeye, AZ, 97H BRANDON LANE Mesa, AZ, 99 ADAM MITCHELL Escondido, CA,

410 QUALIFYING - FRIDAY

Car # Driver
2 TONY JONES Orange, CA, 2B BOSTON REID Fairmont, IN, 4 MIKE KIRBY Torrance, CA, 5G DAVE DARLAND Walton, IN, 11 TROY CLINE Mooreville, NC, 11 TONY ELLIOTT Kokomo, IN, 14 BOBBY GRAHAM Riverside, CA, 17 SETH WILSON San Clemente, CA, 18f TBA, 19S JOSH WISE Riverside, CA, 20 J.J. YELEY Brownsburg, IN, 21 JAY ERVINE Las Vegas, NV, 29 STEVE OSTLING Corona, IN, 41 BOBBY CODY Costa Mesa, CA, 44 MIKE SPENCER Temecula, CA, 47 BRIAN VENARD Irvine, CA, 49 STEVE VENARD Tustin, CA, 50 RICHARD GRIFFIN Silver City, NM, 54 JOSH FORD Oxnard, CA, 55 TONY EVERHART El Cajon, CA, 61 JEFF SLINKARD Phoenix, AZ, 83 JOHN SCOTT Victorville, CA, 85 LANCE GREMETT San Marcos, CA, 91 JORDAN HERMANSADER Sherman Oaks, CA, 97 ALAN BALLARD Bakersfield, CA, X TRAVIS RILAT Houston, TX,

360 QUALIFYING - THURSDAY NIGHT

Car # Driver
00 BRUCE ST. JAMES, Phoenix, AZ, 01 KAYLENE VERVILLE, Phoenix, AZ, 1. ERIC WILKINS, El Mirage, AZ, 2. BOB REAM, JR., Glendale, AZ, 2A RICKIE GAUNT, Torrance, CA, 3 NATHAN HIGH, Goodyear, AZ, 12 JEFF HENRY, Glendale, AZ, 13 MIKE MILLER, Mesa, AZ, 14 BERNIE SMITH, Phoenix, AZ, 16 MATTHEW ROSSI, Desert Hills, AZ, 19 ANDY REINBOLD, Apache, Jct., AZ, 19AZ JIM ARAGON, Mesa, AZ, 15 R.J. JOHNSON, Phoenix, AZ, 17 JOSH PELKEY, Glendale, AZ, 21 JAY ERVINE, Las Vegas, NV, 25 JESSE DUNHAM, Chandler, AZ, 30 DON DROUD, JR., Lincoln, NB, 31 BRIAN HACKER, Suprise, AZ, 40 ASLEY COREY, Tempe, AZ, 52 JOEY MORIARITY, Phoenix, AZ, 61 JEFF SLINKARD, Phoenix, AZ, 67 TRAVIS COOLEY, Mesa, AZ, 72 MIKE BONNEAU, Phoenix, AZ, 76 MIKE LESLIE, Peoria, AZ, 78 CHRIS BONNEAU, Scottsdale, AZ, 79 JIMMY NORMAN, Glendale, AZ, 91AZ PAUL NORBURY, Phoenix, AZ,

360 QUALIFYING - FRIDAY NIGHT

Car # Driver
2j A.J. REYER, San Diego, CA, 5b JEFF BRANAMAN, Sedona, AZ, 6AZ J.T. IMPERIAL, Mesa, AZ, 7K J.J. YELEY, Brownsburg, IN, 8 TIM BEAL, Prescott, AZ, 9 KELLY DENNISON, Cedar Crest, NM, 11. JON STANBROUGH, Jamestown, IN, 18 DAVEY BATEMAN, Phoenix, AZ, 21j JEREMY SHERMAN, Phoenix, AZ, 33 JOHN YATES, Tucson, AZ, 33a RONNIE CLARK, Tucson, AZ, 35 CASEY SHUMAN, Corona, CA, 40C CORY KRUSEMAN, Ventura, CA, 50 MICHAEL BRYAN, Mesa, AZ, 51 RICKY JOHNSON, Phoenix, AZ, 52L LARRY LLOYD, California, 57 MIKE MARTIN, Yuma, AZ, 61AZ BUGS NORBURY, Phoenix, AZ, 95 JUSTIN FISHER, Phoenix, AZ, 98 LONNIE SHERMAN, Phoenix, AZ, X TRAVIS RILAT, Fomey, TX.

NWWC points standings: 1 J.J. Yeley 453, 2 Cory Kruseman 416, 3 Bud Kaeding 392, 4 Levi Jones 376, 5 Troy Rutherford 341, 6 Damion Gardner 337, 7 Richard Griffin 321, 8 Rip Williams 246, 9 Mike English 230, 10 Mike Spencer 221, 11 Boston Reid 198, 12 Josh Ford 181, 13 Alan Ballard 129, 14 Jimmy Crawford 122, 15 Bob Ream, Jr. 62, 16 Charles Davis, Jr. 62, 17 Jac Haudenschild 58, 18 Seth Wilson 52, 19 Mel Murphy 35, 20 Adam Mitchell 14.

The final chapter of the 2003 Wagsdash was written this week when the purse went over my $18,000 goal number that I hoped for. The final bit of money is still due in, but we are almost there. It was a great day and plenty of fun for all as the one day the Wagtimer’s call their own, is now done for another year. Will there be a 14th edition? Honestly, I don’t know as a lot rides on the Ventura fairboard this week. Jim Naylor, Ventura Raceway promoter for over 25 years, has hopes for another contract to be signed, but recent newspaper reports say things are not leaning towards racing in the crazy world of the Ventura fair board and their supporters. It still looks like one more year is going to happen as the talk at the raceway on Saturday night included the "new" midget class Naylor plans to start. But, the long haul has to be addressed.

The Save Ventura Group is back to work with all the recent happenings that spell trouble for race fans in Ventura. It’s always about money, and those with it want to get rid of racing. Now we are back to that “concert arena” idea that seems to be getting old. Can we stop the trend of lost racetracks? Probably not, but at least they should use the land after closing instead of letting it stand unused for so long like Baylands, Ascot, West Capitol, San Jose and so many more. All those tracks could have raced years longer than they did, but for investors jumping the gun and not completing the plans for the property. Look at Ascot, the great useless parking place, San Jose where the demolished grandstands leaves a blank spot on the fairgrounds, Baylands a place along the freeway for years full of nothing but memories. Why do we have this problem and what can we race fans do about it? Think about it and then do something!

If Ventura closes, the likelihood of me and my merry band of workers creating the same fun times at another track, is very doubtful. Where else can we commandeer a big kitchen to cook the chili, get the help in bringing in extra tables and chairs to use, hold an auction and other fundraisers to create the purse for the low buck racers? If it weren’t for Jim Naylor, none of this would have ever happened the way it did. His support and taking us in when we had no place to run was lucky. So, it is important that the track is open for us next year.

Way to go to Will "the thrill" Perkins who passed Steve Ostling on the last corner to win another VRA main event. Sounds like it was a winner, as all Ventura races seem to turn out! Remember, the short bull ring characteristics of short chutes and wide turns just keeps the cars closer and the action non-stop. The word is he used the top groove that normally is the visiting SCRA territory, wow. Bud Kaeding won at Hanford over the weekend to tune up for the Manzy madness coming up. He will be certainly one of the visitors to make some noise in the NWWC finals.

Hurry to get your name on a lap for the Oval Nationals and a chance at a NASCAR hood if your name is drawn. See me or call me and I’ll take care of it. I will be at Manzy Friday and Saturday with a few t-shirts and raffle tickets for the quilt, look for me.

SCRA points as of 10/18/03
Richard Griffin 2015, 2. Troy Rutherford, 1877 3. Damion Gardner, 1846 4. Rip Williams 1682, 5. Mike Spencer, 1199 6. Steve Ostling, 1197, 7. Tony Jones 1066, 8. Rickie Gaunt 1040, 9. Josh Ford 1010, 10. Mike English 1004, 11. Cory Kruseman 868, 12. Levi Jones 850, 13. Adam Mitchell 823, 14. Alan Ballard 778 15. Charles Davis, Jr 651, 16. Seth Wilson 628, 17. Verne Sweeney 601 18. J.J. Yeley 552, 19. Brian Venard 526, 20. Jimmy Crawford 503.