GARDNER TAKES OVER POINT LEAD FOR USAC/CRA CLUB ON BUNNY EVE.

On a perfect day and night of racing in the desert community of Perris, Mike Kirby chased down the leader, Damion Gardner, and then the duel was on. It was a great battle until “Killer” Kirby put a stake in the Demon’s heart for the win at Perris Auto Speedway this week. With thirty cars in the pits, the big crowd enjoyed the night that also featured California Lightning Sprints and plenty of great racing action.

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Mike Kirby, driving the red ITI Performance, Sander Engineering, Snap-on, TCR, # 38, started on the inside of the second row behind Jeremy Sherman and Damion Gardner. The Demon took the lead immediately and began to stretch it out with Kirby following quickly in 2nd. When Killer caught up, the resulting wheel to wheel action was mighty exciting as the two red sprinters put on a stellar show until Damion developed a bad vibration that ultimately sent him back to finish 3rd after a lap 22 restart. Officially, Damion led the first 15 laps, then Kirby 4, then Damion 1 and Kirby the rest, but in truth they passed each other many times, sometimes more than once on a lap, as the side by side duel was pretty special for over 20 laps. Kirby was pretty animated for a change after his win as he interrupted a family weekend of dirt bike riding in the desert to race on Saturday, and quickly left to go back and ride some more afterwards. The bright red car had shiny chromelike headers this week that really set it off!

Rip Williams was third quick in qualifying and finished third in his heat in the black John Jory Corp, Weld Wheels, Stinger, # 3 this week. He started 7th in the main and worked his way towards the front until he came upon the battle for the lead. Then he put his nose in it, and after the last restart, got by a struggling Damion and tried to reel in the leader. He came up a little short, but not for the lack of trying. Rip was battling the “walking pneumonia” this past week, so was a little under the weather, but his podium walk was quite the earned opportunity with the extra effort.

The Demon looked very fast in winning his heat and holding off a closing Brian Venard at the end of it. His bolting to the lead in the 30 lap main event was expected from that front row starting spot and he was hooked up on the top groove just fine until Kirby showed up. The last restart really hurt him as a major vibration began and he said he could hardly see and thought better of driving thru it like he really wanted to. Later, they were checking a wheel for the problem. He doesn’t like to lose, but knows his new ride gets better each time out as he settles in. The red Temecula Valley Pipe and Supply, Arizona Race Mart, Madera Produce, John Boy, # 50 just gets better every week, so watch out, the Demon has a big smile!

The last time we saw Tony Jones, the Cowboy was reeling from an axle busting crash that destroyed his ride at Manzanita. This week a barely finished model of the blue Ferreira Dairy, Standard Feeding, Maxim, # 2 hit the track. Tony said they “mated” two well used Maxims to get one car and were bolting it together even after arriving very late in the afternoon, so late he missed the pill draw and qualified last in the order. Nevertheless, he was 12th quick and third in his heat before starting 12th in the main. He said the car felt good as he rolled up to a fourth place finish, and the team will take it! Good job by the Cowboy after a week off to mend his battered body and rebuild this frankenstein like chassis.

Troy Rutherford is thrilled with the new Bullet Chassis utilized by the Mark Priestly owned team, and was having a pretty good night after setting fast time at 17.024. He finished 2nd in his heat and started 8th in the main. He was up to 4th when a last corner problem with the motor slowed him smoking back to 5th as he coasted across the finish line with a broken motor.

Jeremy Sherman was in the house this week. Jeremy came over to drive for Billy Wilkerson in an Ellis chassis he won in at Manzy two years ago. The blue number 11 fit him fine as he won his heat and started on the pole of the main. Jeremy’s luck at the PAS has not been the best there, yet he drove it hard all night, but ended up 13th and never seemed to get the handle he usually has in a race car. I hope he gets another shot as this young driver is still exceptional in my book.

Mike Spencer had a strong 6th place run in Hal Engstrom’s # 44 this week as he continues to drive better and better. Adam Mitchell was running 4th until late in the race when he encountered a problem and dropped back to 7th. Flyin’ Brian Venard had a great night after last week’s shock problem in the semi that took him out at Hanford. He was 4th quick and 2nd in his heat to start 6th in the main. He finished 8th and made Grandma Rosie smile. Mike English drove Buzz Shoemaker’s # 0 car this week and got 9th. The rookie, David Cardey had another great outing in only his 5th start in a sprint car, making 11th his best finish yet. He drives for the Tooth Doc, Jim Giardina and is coming fast. He also drove one of the little wingy things, but had some motor problem and dropped out.

Destiny Hays, the Northern California wing driver who ran the Oval nationals here last year, brought her car for another look at the topless craze down here. She missed the main, but was pretty smooth in her heat and Semi. Another lady driver, the policewoman from Azuza, Naughty Nadine Keller of the Black Widow Racing Team, continues to get seat time in her own car. The 360 powered sprinter didn’t find any trouble this week, except for one wheel bump at the end of the Semi that was nothing, as she had more fun than is legal driving her race car. The semi retired Gardner clan is helping her every week.

Some more members of the “ouch” club this week included the motor smoker of Rutherford and a few more unlucky ones. Bobby Cody had another great outing with his Mike Nigh and Harlan Willis helpers working on his set-ups. He won his 2nd heat in two weeks and was running strong in the feature until a busted radiator ended his night on lap 22. Jordan Hermansader looked great in his heat in the team car to the Kruseman # 4 of the Alexander Trucking team. He had a rear end break in the main ending the night sadly for the young lion.

It’s “push comes to shove time” or “fish or cut bait time” or maybe it’s “where the rubber meets the road time” and all this means is, it is decision time in the So Cal racing scene this week. Get it done!!!! The first conflict between the 10 year old SCRA club and the new USAC/CRA fledging member of a long time national USAC series goes head to head this week for the first time. On Saturday night Perris hosts the USAC/CRA club while out in the boonies of Barona, the SCRA faithful go at it. My opinion? As long as there were no conflicts, the racers could enjoy “double dipping” like last weekend at Hanford and Tulare. Now, anyone on the fence has to get off, so this tug o’ war can come to a head and get handled. Get it done!

The weekend racers can’t run two associations effectively, but can pick and choose if the points do not matter. Has the SCRA been around long enough to be the only choice? Was the CRA around long enough? Is USAC’s national presence and experience the answer for what ails some? What are the deciding factors that will make this mess end? Or will it? None of the top drivers have stayed away from the USAC events, but only one SCRA race has been run, so today it is too soon to tell. For those who are looking for wisdom from this “wag”, it will come from the racers and they are about to speak. Some teams have already made the choice obvious and it will become even more so next Saturday night. GET IT DONE!!!

With the new USAC/CRA start-up comes a new video guy! Jeff Kristensen is not new to me as I have seen him working around the country doing good work for the All Stars, and USAC before that, and enjoying it. Now he is the new guy in town supplying all the USAC/CRA races on tape or DVD. He makes sure the highlights get on Speed News each week and produces his work weekly. His prices are $20 for a weekly show on tape or $22 on DVD. You can call him on 818-618-9764 or e-mail at racewayvdo@aol.com. If you want the latest stuff, check him out.

If you noticed the new style programs at Perris this year, there is more under the cover than before. Although the color cover is gone, the price is now only $2 and you get some things not previously available in past PAS programs. The new stuff to me is the listing of the chassis and motor builder in addition to the sponsors. Also new and fan friendly was the new podium autograph session (PAS?) at the sports bar right after the main ended. Yes, the top three went right across the track to the sports bar and signed autographs for the fans as soon as they climbed out of their cars. A new wrinkle that should be popular with fans, especially the ones who don’t get into the pits or worry about the time the parking lot closes and they get locked in after the races.

The Wagsbucks for 2004 is slowly moving along. Even though you don’t hear a lot about it out there, I am still doing it quietly and have collected almost my payout point of $200 this week, so next time at Perris some unlucky (?) team will get some Wagsbucks. Over time we have enjoyed the generosity of fans who donate the cash to the weekly fund and the racers who receive it are very appreciative. I have been collecting Wagsbucks since 1989 to the tune of over $350,000. All the money collected has gone to the racers and it still does. There was a time when the announcers were free to talk about the how and why we do it, but it is still the simple thing that we started with. I collect cash each week from fans and give it to some low buck team that has trouble during the night. It could be a blown motor, a bad crash, a rear-end coming apart or, as it once happened to a team whose tow rig broke down and they rented a Ryder truck to get to the races. Sometimes there are too many to pick from, making it more difficult, but the recipient is always thankful for the "free" money.

The weekly collections once averaged as high as $300 a week, but the economic times, and perhaps the life of it, have caused the average to go down. I don’t hawk the plan, but those who understand and want to help, add to it. This week Allan Ballard gave me a few t-shirts to give away and some Wagsbuck donators received those. So sometimes I get to give instead of just take. I will continue to collect money for the low buck racers as long as people donate during the year and dole it out in $200 payouts as long as it happens. Thanks to all who continue to support me.

The other project I will concentrate on during the year is the annual Wagsdash for the low buck racers. This will be the 14th edition this year and is already scheduled for Ventura Raceway on October 23rd. My thanks to Ventura Raceway for taking on this race again at the place that it has blossomed the event in the years we have run there. I can’t imagine running it anywhere else! We will be shooting at topping the $18,000 purse of last year and will start working on it by getting sponsors for the annual Ellen Ellis Calendar. Check with Mrs Wags to get your name or business on it!

The Tom Stansberry car owned by Ron Bach was the shiny tire winner this week after my helper, Krista Bandy, and her friends assisted me in the choice. Good job as the yellow Mopar powered car’s tires were blazing all night. The VRA champion continues to look to the future and this 410 Mopar has big potential!

Perris announced that Bud Kaeding will be here to drive the Harlan Willis # 45 on April 17th as he has a break in the USAC schedule in Indiana. He drove the car at Manzanita and experienced two wild crashes, but has shown how deadly he can be with big wins at the Oval Nationals in 2002 and many more other victories.

FEATURE: (30 laps) 1. Mike Kirby, 2. Rip Williams, 3. Damion Gardner, 4. Tony Jones, 5. Troy Rutherford, 6. Mike Spencer, 7. Adam Mitchell, 8. Brian Venard, 9. Mike English, 10. Greg Bragg, 11. David Cardey, 12. Steve Ostling, 13. Jeremy Sherman, 14. Ronnie Case, 15. Gary W. Howard, 16. Alan Ballard, 17. Ron DiDonato, 18. Bobby Cody, 19. Tom Stansberry, 20. Jordan Hermansader.

USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR STANDINGS as of 4/11/04: 1-Gardner-285; 2-Williams-271; 3-Rutherford-257; 4-Cory Kruseman-242; 5-Kirby-240; 6-Jones-165; 6-Sherman-146; 8-Bragg-139; 9-Ricky Gaunt-138; 10-Spencer-137.

NEXT USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACE: April 17 – Perris (CA) Auto Speedway