Picture this: a rut big enough for me to get lost in, and the SCRA cowboys rough riding the difficult track trying to avoid it and other "potholes", a few cars slingshoted out of it to the wall, and the result a wild night of racing under a half moon lit sky at Santa Maria Speedway. The SCRA got in some practice for perhaps some wild times on tour in two weeks when they ran at the scenic 1/3rd mile oval this weekend. When the "last man standing" was Richard Griffin, it was not surprising as he manhandled his wild stallion all over the track to grab the lead halfway thru and take his 42nd SCRA win and increase his point lead over Steve Ostling to 79 points.

Mrs Wags finally showed up. Click here.

Richard is still driving Ron Chaffin's Temecula Valley Pipe & Supply, Arizona Race Mart, Circle C Marketing, # 50 as well as ever! Crew chief, Bruce Bromme Jr, is now all smiles after a slow start this year that brought frowns to his brow. They have managed to win 4 of the last 7 races, all on the road away from the home track of Perris. This one was really vintage Santa Maria, because even though the track surface is not prepared what it once was, they always find a way to make the racing exciting. Richard had his hands full with his car, the track and the stiff competition looking for their own win this night. He had all the answers and two reds in the main, when he was behind, didn't hurt as it gave Bruce a chance to "touch" the car with his savvy ways, and the rest is history.

Steve "I don't wanna be a Bridesmaid" Ostling was 2nd for the 6th time this season, all behind different winners! He has the Fischer Motorsports Stress Relief Engineering, Accu-true, High Performance Harleys, # 29 cookin' on all eight cylinders. Steve has been moving higher in the points with his great driving and is the closest challenger to Griffin's enlarging lead. If Steve doesn't get a tour ride, and Jones doesn't make the trip, and Cory doesn't make a run at him, the lead Griffin probably will come home with might be curtains for the rest of the challengers. Cory has dropped to fourth in points as he missed the feature for the 2nd week in a row. He will also miss this coming week as Harlan doesn't have a motor back for the racecar and he's doing well in Indiana. Steve had to do a little extra work this week after winning the JE Pistons Passing Masters Dash and then hitting the cone on a restart in the main event. He was put back two spots on the next restart, dropping back to 6th. Then, he moved back into contention, but the Gasman was too far gone when he was ready to make his move for his first win of the year.

Super Rickie was on his game this week as he drove the Alexander Trucking, Drake, Inc, Dougs, # 4 to third on the tricky track. Rickie has renewed interest in running up front, especially after he won at the PAS a few weeks ago. He was 4th in his heat and 5th in the dash before taking a shot at Griffin late in the race. When this fun loving guy gets focused, he can run with the best of them and then entertain the fans afterward.

Rodney Argo was on fire early in the 30 lap main. He started outside row two and quickly moved into 2nd behind early leader, Rip Williams, then stunned the crowd by driving under him into the lead and pulling away. Rodney had his dad's favorite Ford in the hunt this week after qualifying 5th, running 4th in his heat and the dash then getting the same 4th in the main. It was his best outing of the year and should send him on to Iowa for the start of the tour.

Tony Jones had a tough night. In qualifying he looked like he wanted to set fast time running down the front stretch farther than most, but on both laps he got into turn one too hot and killed his quick time chances by almost spinning out. Later, the team learned a faulty reading tire pressure gauge sent him out with very little air in the right rear. Starting 18th in the main on a small bowl like Santa Maria could have been curtains for the young Cowboy, but he was able to get his spurs locked on the high groove and pull into 5th at the end, earning the $100 for the hard charger of the week. A great show, as he was able to tip toe up top where others consistently bobbled coming out of turn two.

Casey Shuman has not had a good year. In fact he hadn't had a year until his recent move into Bill Pratt's # 12 car. The team has struggled recently, but you wouldn't know it by the results this week. Casey was 10th quick and then won the Semi before starting in the 4th row and moving up to fifth before getting rollercoastered back to 6th where he finished a strong night. He was all smiles after the races and now looks forward to doing even better in the weeks to come. The car is not going on tour, but I don't know if Casey has any plans himself.

Tough nights for all who entered the now famous turn three cavernous rut, more for some than others. The first car out of the main got sucked into it and was thrown at the wall. Tom Downing had looked for better, but his car wasn't too battered afterwards. John Scott then got tossed literally up into the wall and upside down, bringing out a red. Damion Gardner couldn't avoid him, so both had a few adjustments to make during the line-up and yet both (!) made it back on the restart. John went on to finish 12th, don't know how, and Damion became a pin ball wizard as he was jousted about by others trying to move forward, remarkably getting to 9th at the checkered flag in his new car. He will be running the Wilkerson car at the getaway race from Perris this coming week. He plans to take his own car on the tour. Rip was rudely tossed sideways into the same wall and it looked like it really hurt the black number 3 as the car left the track with the rear-end noticeable misaligned. Also getting his walking papers from rut Mcnasty was Jack Dearmond Jr when he caught it, went up high on the wall, but when he came down and rolled along he front stretch, the car wasn't ready to play again. They were done.

Mike English and Bobby Graham both managed to stay out of trouble and finish this one with some active forward movement. English finished 7th and Bobby was right behind him in 8th. They were looking forward and putting on their own show. Bobby Cody made his rookie shot at Santa Maria a 10 place finish, not bad for this vastly improving driver. Sometimes he is so fast, I worry, but he is getting more comfortable each time out and should show more and he leads the rookie points.

Danny Sheridan, BAMM! After last week's motor problem, the cause was an adjustment screw that broke off in the motor, it was sad in their pit again this week. After sending the motor off to be repaired, and hearing the broken pieces were fished out and it was good to go, the Ron Didonato owned race car came to Santa Maria with two things in mind. One, to honor crewmember Robbie's mom who passed away, and two, run a complete race and maybe win on his home track. Danny qualified 8th and made the dash from his heat, only to drop out of that one with what appears to be another problem with their only power plant. Not good news for the Didonato clan, but hopefully, they can get it together to finish strong this season. They are giving it all they have and getting little back for their efforts.

Only 28 cars this week, but still it was up 7 from the last trip here. It included several locals including Darren Simas, Mike Knopf, Jimmy Thompson, John Jewatt and a green rookie wing driver named Daniel Hood. Thompson was doing very well on his home track early until he had a flat tire and then ended up 17th. These 360 guys can do just fine at the smaller tracks competing with the 410's.

The week of Wagsbucks featured Jarrett Chaney hitting the wall for his $110. He was booted by another car in his heat and couldn't muster enough parts to return. He spent the rest of the night up in the grandstands watching with his family. Shiny Tire awards went to Tony Jones and Rickie Gaunt's crews as they did the best according to Malory Gardner. Even on the road, some go the extra mile, and the fans notice!

How far can Cory Kruseman take this little 8 race deal in Indiana, while his SCRA ride is parked until the NWWC tour is over? Cory won the first three Indiana Speedweek races as the recent rain has made the tracks heavier than normal for the start of the 8 scheduled races in the annual event. Will that trend continue and will Keith Kunz have another Speedweek championship when this is all over? Will Cory be in the # 67 for the tour? Cory is probably interested in getting back on J J, who was announced as the NSCHOF # 1 non-wing driver this week displacing him. From my perspective, Cory could do very well these next 5 races, especially if it stays wet, and yet still be very competitive if they go dry slick like the heat can do there. J J Yeley, who was 2nd the first race, then got whacked on the 2nd night, does well on both slick and heavy tracks Let's wait and see how it all turns out as the local USAC heroes gear up to stop the invaders. I call J J one of the invaders because they still don't like this hard working young man beating them in their own back yard. Remember a few years ago when J J won this series amid many boo's? Let's hope the racing is hot, the winner worthy and next year we take all our heroes to make this world championship idea come true, now wouldn't that be wild!!! Sorry I am not there, duh(!) as I just couldn't pull the trigger on the trip. It was just too soon for the tour and my cash flow is, well, it's not where it should be, just like most of the teams getting ready to take off.

For this week at the PAS, bring some tow money cash for the boys as they take off! I have just received a new torque wrench from one of the Damion Gardner team sponsors, the Snap-on Rep from Northern California, whose card is lost in E-mail, to add to the two toolboxes we are raffling off. A big thanks and it will be a bonus prize as we try to earn more money for the tour and then the Wagsdash coming soon, way too soon, on October 26th at Ventura.

For you Wagso players, a new version of the game will debut with the August 31st visit to Ventura. The winner, with the best total score from Ventura's race, will get $50 and Wagtimes T-shirts to two runner-ups.

I have a few tickets left for Oskaloosa. I will be turning them in to the promoter next week, so if you want to sit with the traveling SCRA crowd and cheer our boys on, get an e-mail to me right away. They are $25 each and should be good seats in the packed house.

SCRA DRIVER POINTS as of 6/20/02

1. Richard Griffin 1204, 2. Steve Ostling 1125, 3.Tony Jones 1089, 4. Cory Kruseman 999, 5. Rip Williams 997, 6. John Scott 984, 7. Damion Gardner 898, 8. Rickie Gaunt 876, 9. Mike Kirby 867, 10. Jremy Sherman 847, 11. Mike English 727, 12. Charles Davis, Jr 724, 13. Bobby Graham 721, 14. Troy Rutherford 609, 15. Gary W. Howard 544, 16. Rodney Argo 511, 17. Danny Sheridan 394, 18. Bobby Cody 377, 19. Mike Spencer 374, 20. Adam Mitchell 328.