Kruseman
Leads All 50 Laps at Chili Bowl
Tulsa, OK (Jan. 8, 2000) - Sometimes the motivation of finishing
second can be what a driver needs to secure an elusive victory. Cory
Kruseman finished second to Dan Boorse in the 1999 O'Reilly Chili Bowl
Midget Nationals, but Saturday night at the Tulsa Expo Raceway, Kruseman was
the one standing in the middle of the podium with the trophy and the cash.
Kruseman also was a little bit lucky. Lucky that he started outside the
front row because behind him in the 50-lap Championship Main event
contenders began to drop off because of wrecks.
Contenders like pole starter Dave Darland, Tracy Hines, Dan Boorse, Kevin
Doty and Gary Wright all had problems in trying to catch Kruseman, a
Ventura, Calif. resident, on the quarter-mile dirt track at the Tulsa Expo
Raceway.
But he also had Arizona Sprint Car legend and 1991 Chili Bowl champion
Leland McSpadden as his crew chief on the No. 47 Bondio-owned Midget. With
all of those things, Kruseman led all 50 laps for the $5,000 victory. Shane
Cottle, the highest finishing driver of 31 rookies, finished second and Bud
Kaeding, another California driver, third.
``McSpadden is the sharpest guy in the whole world, I just hold on,''
said Kruseman, who became the first California native to win the coveted
indoor midget racing event. ``You have to stay focused because you have 130
of the best midgets in the nation, and they are all invited. You just got to
concentrate 100 percent.''
Kruseman lost the lead briefly to Hines in Lap 2, but the first caution
of the race came out after Critter Malone and Mike Hess spun in the second
turn. Hines was forced behind Kruseman on the restart, but the pass was
enough for Kruseman to realize this could be a tough 50 laps.
(Hines) ``got me clean,'' Kruseman said. ``We just got in lapped cars and
it was time to start doing some of that Chili Bowl driving ... get your arms
up, sliding around and stuff like that.''
And that is what Kruseman did started driving very similar to his crew
chief, weaving through lapped cars and bumping a few along the way to the
victory. During a long green flag period between a Lap 20 restart and a Lap
38 caution Kruseman began to extend his lead. But when the race restarted in
Lap 38, things started to happen behind the soon-to-be first-time winner.
Dan Boorse and Gary Wright were battling for second with about three or
four lapped cars between them and Kruseman, with Jason Leffler and Kevin
Doty beginning to close on the two drivers. But in Lap 44, Wright hit the
cushion in turn 2 and flipped hard in the turn. But as drivers tried to
avoid Wright, Leffler and Doty, who were involved in earlier cautions during
the race, were collected in the multi-car pileup.
As the race was beginning to restart, Boorse suddenly stopped on the
fourth turn and jumped out of the car because of a fire. A broken U-Joint
took the defending champion out of contention for a second-straight
championship.
When the race restarted in Lap 44, Kruseman drove away from the field,
while Cottle and Kaeding battled it out for second with Chili Bowl veterans
Kevin Olson and Sammy Swindell in front of them as lapped cars. Cottle could
not get around the two and had to settle for second.
``I don't think I could have caught him anyway because he was doing to
good,'' Cottle said. ``Unfortunately I got slammed by a lapped car.''
Prior to the mishap in Lap 44, while Kruseman was running away with the
event, most had eyes on Wright and Boorse, along with Leffler. Leffler
started scratch, 23rd, in the 23-car field and by the halfway point in the
event was in sixth place. He stayed behind Boorse, Wright, Joe Boyles and
Greg Lueckert until Lap 31 when he drove into fifth spot.
In Lap 39, Leffler passed Wright for third and was challenging Boorse,
when Wright took the position back in Lap 42. But then Leffler and Wright
were out of contention after the Lap 44 caution, with Leffler taking ninth
and Wright being scored in 19th.
Joe Boyles, who was strong in Thursday night's preliminary program,
finished fourth, with Hines coming from the back after stopping in Lap 18
after he jumped the cushion to finish fifth. Greg Lueckert was sixth, with
Boyd Calvert seventh, Matt Westfall eighth, Leffler ninth and Don Lehmann
taking 10th.
Pole starter and Thursday night winner Dave Darland ended up 20th after
being involved with his Wilke Racing teammate Kevin Doty and Greg Lueckert.
Sammy Swindell, who won the first C Main and the first B Main finished 13th
after being lapped in Lap 34 buy Kruseman.
In the first B Main, Leffler brought the crowd to its feet after being
involved in the first of three aborted starts of the 20-lap event. His Dino
Tomassi crew worked on the car, but he was able to restart the race because
of two successive caution flags that kept them from completing a lap.
Leffler restarted at the back of the field and needed 18 laps to drive in
the fourth and final transfer spot. He passed Dean Erfurth for fourth in Lap
19.
Sammy Swindell, who won the first C Main event, also won the first B Main
after benefitting from the first-lap multi-car pile up that Leffler was in.
Swindell drove into the lead with an inside move in turn 4 on Lap 9 and led
the rest of the 20-lap event. Boyd Calvert finished second and Mike Hess
third. Billy Boat, who was driving the only Lawson car Saturday night, was
forced to leave the event after being involved in a wreck on the the third
try at a start. He was scored in 15th.
Casey Slocum won the second B Main event, taking the lead from Ricky
Shelton in Lap 5. Kaeding took second, Critter Malone third and Shelton the
fourth and final transfer spot. Indy Racing League president and founder
Tony George brought out the fifth and final caution of the 20-lap event when
he flipped in turn 3 on Lap 15.
In the first C Main, Swindell took the lead from Aaron Kirk in Lap 9 and
rolled to the victory after starting 10th. Randy Koch drove from fifth to
take the second C Main, with Steve Knepper running and Travis Welpott third.
Craig Carry and Kasey Kahne won the D Main events, with Kenny Bernard and
John Lucas taking the twin E Main races.
Among Saturday night's non-qualifiers was Jack Hewitt, who was seventh in
the second C Main, Daryn Pittman, seventh in the first B Main. Indiana
resident Tony Elliott also did not qualify after ending up 11th in the
second B main. John Heydenreich, who won the 1990 event, flipped on the
third lap of the second B Main.
Grand Marshall:
Parnelli Jones
Awards: Special Appreciation Trophy to Ron Byerly, Vice President of
Advertising, Marketing & Training, O'Reilly Auto Parts;
Preliminary Attendance
approx 11, 300 Saturday; 3 days - approx 27, 600
Results for Saturday features
1st E Main (top 2 to 1st D): 1. #3B,
Kenny Bernard, Colleyville, Texas; 2. #59, Jim Sawyer, Hamilton, Ohio; 3.
#43, Kevin Arnold, Franklin, Ind.; 4. #46, Ryan Linder, Newark, Calif.; 5.
#51M, Jerry Marks, Monkey Island, Okla.; 6. #0, Johnny Murdock, Mesquite,
Texas; (Did not start - #16M, Wayne Miller, Lafayette, Ind.; #88M, Dennis
Miller, Galveston, Ind.; #55T, Tommy Spencer, Houston, Texas)
2nd E Main (top 2 to 2nd D): 1. #5,
John Lucas, Lebanon, Ind.; 2. #78, Travis Rilat, Texas City, Texas; 3. #7X,
John Ferrell, Coventry, Conn.; 4. #81, Bill Allen, Independence, Mo.; 5.
#2A, A.J. Ernesto, Reading. Penn.; 6. #19X, Howard Worrell, Kirkwood, Mo.;
7. #7G, Greg Granath, Rockton, Ill.; (Did not start - #7, Chris Shoulders,
Dallas, Texas)
1st D Main (top 4 to 1st C): 1.
#30, Craig Carry, Springfield, Ill.; 2. #98, Kevin Eggert, Appleton, Wis.;
3. #25, Mike Farmer, Colorado Springs, Colo.; 4. #53, J.D. Turner,
Cincinnati, Ohio; 5. #37Q, Lee Walther , Oklahoma City, Okla.; 6. #3B, Kenny
Bernard, Colleyville, Texas; 7. #59, Jim Sawyer, Hamilton, Ohio; 8. #33A,
Steve Arnold, Seymour, Ind.; 9. #31H, Brian Harvill, Irving, Texas; 10.
#22P, Jeff Palazzolo, Pacific, Mo.; 11. #50, Roland Ayo, Houston, Texas; 12.
#26, John Sarale, Stockton, Calif.; 13. #99W, Korey Weyant, Springfield,
Ill.; 14. #44, Dennis Mann, Indianapolis, Ind.; 15. #45G, Gil White,
Blanchard, Okla.; 16. #6NM, Robert Marfia, Jr., Rio Rancho, N.M.; 17. #97Z,
Jerry Zike, Seymour, Ind.; (Did not start - #4D, Bruce Donaldson, Jr., St.
Peters, Mo.)
2nd D Main (top 4 to 2nd C): 1.
#62, Kasey Kahne, Enumclaw, Wash.; 2. #32, Aaron Fike, Galesburg, Ill.; 3.
#0K, Ron Kuhn, Lee's Summit, Mo.; 4. #66B, Tony Beaber, Gibsonburg, Ohio; 5.
#5, John Lucas, Lebanon, Ind.; 6. #10X, Kenny Jacobs, Holmesville, Ohio; 7.
#84S, Phil Shapel, Wichita, Kan.; 8. #17, William Schemonia, Murphysboro,
Ill.; 9. #2B, Jackie Burke, Houston, Texas; 10. #8NM, Al Damazio,
Albuquerque, N.M.; 11. #47C, David Camfield, Jr., Decatur, Ill.; 12. #19N,
Nick O'Neal, Wagoner, Okla.; 13. #78, Travis Rilat, Texas City, Texas; 14.
#8M, Gary McNabb, Edmond, Okla.; 15. #59, Jim Sawyer, Hamilton, Ohio; 16.
#2S, Joey Saldana, Brownsburg, Ind.; 17. #2C, Chris Tarrant, Mesquite,
Texas; (Did not start - #15L, Billy Pauch, Frenchtown, N.J.)
1st C Main (top 3 to 1st B): 1. #1,
Sammy Swindell, Bartlett, Tenn.; 2. #16F, Chad Farmer, Colorado Springs,
Colo.; 3. #45, Aaron Kirk, Conroe, Texas; 4. #22C , Chris Coers, Columbus,
Ind.; 5. #53, J.D. Turner, Cincinnati, Ohio; 6. #25, Mike Farmer, Colorado
Springs, Colo.; 7. #14, Tony Rossi, Arvada, Colo.; 8. #56TX, Douglas White,
Houston, Texas; 9. #30, Craig Carry, Springfield, Ill.; 10. #11X, Steve
Newman, Lakewood, Colo.; 11. #98, Kevin Eggert, Appleton, Wis.; 12. #56,
Shane Scully, Encino, Calif.; 13. #22A, Steve Aplin, St. Louis, Mo.; 14.
#67, Randy Nigg, Colorado Springs, Colo.; 15. #00, Thomas Meseraul, San
Jose, Calif.; 16. #Q4, Edwin Wilson, Moore, Okla.; (Did not start - #7M, Tim
McVay, Blue Springs, Mo.; #2H, Bob Harr, Arvada, Colo.)
2nd C Main (top 3 to 2nd B): 1. #2,
Randy Koch, Oregon, Wis.; 2. #55, Steve Knepper, Belleville, Ill.; 3. #18,
Travis Welpott, Pendleton, Ind.; 4. #16, Barry Reed, Mooresville, Ind.; 5.
#21, John Jones, Mt. Horeb, Wis.; 6. #99, Rick Ellis, Thornton, Colo.; 7.
#23, Jack Hewitt, Troy, Ohio; 8. #21X, Rick Mueller, Barneveld, Wis.; 9.
#91D, Richie Dewell, Fowler, Kan.; 10. #32, Aaron Fike, Galesburg, Ill.; 11.
#66B, Tony Beaber, Gibsonburg, Ohio; 12. #38, David Watkins, Houston, Texas;
13. #62, Kasey Kahne, Enumclaw, Wash.; 14. #72, Jeff Flesher, Gridley, Ill.;
15. #69, A.J. Fike, Galesburg, Ill.; 16. #00X, Matt Hummel, Mt. View,
Calif.; 17. #0K, Ron Kuhn, Lee's Summit, Mo.; (Did not start - #18T, Bob
Burkle, Terre Haute, Ind.)
1st B Main (top 4 to A): 1. #1, Sammy
Swindell, Bartlett, Tenn.; 2. #V4, Boyd Calvert, DeForest, Wis.; 3. #51,
Mike Hess, Petersburg, Ill.; 4. #29, Jason Leffler, Long Beach, Calif.; 5.
#5K, Dean Erfurth, Oregon, Wis.; 6. #84, Dean Franklin, Speedway, Ind.; 7.
#31L, Daryn Pittman, Owasso, Okla.; 8. #73, Scott Hatton, Roscoe, Ill.; 9.
#3X, Doug Danham, Chatham, Ill.; 10. #71W, Wayne Chinn, Tipp City, Ohio; 11.
#87, Rich Camfield, Decatur, Ill.; 12. #38X, Dave Baumgartner, Ottawa,
Mich.; 13. #3, Ed Carpenter, Indianapolis, Ind.; 14. #3M, John Wolfe,
Winchester, Ind.; 15. #15, Billy Boat, Phoenix, Ariz.; 16. #16F, Chad
Farmer, Colorado Springs, Colo.; 17. #45, Aaron Kirk, Conroe, Texas; (Did
not start - #81T, Tim Spindler, Columbus, Ind.)
2nd B Main (top 4 to A): 1. #97C,
Casey Slocum, Denver, Colo.; 2. #2K, Bud Kaeding, Campbell, Calif.; 3. #7C,
Critter Malone, Speedway, Ind.; 4. #71, Ricky Shelton, Huntington Beach,
Calif; 5. #55, Steve Knepper, Belleville, Ill.; 6. #96, Bobby Boone,
Palmdale, Ind.; 7. #19, Dennis Parker, Council Bluffs, Iowa; 8. #4B, Ronnie
Burke, Jr., Houston, Texas; 9. #75, Roger Miller, Milan, Ill.; 10. #2, Randy
Koch, Oregon, Wis.; 11. #66, Tony Elliott, Kokomo, Ind.; 12. #18, Travis
Welpott, Pendleton, Ind.; 13. #3T, Tony George, Indianapolis, Ind.; 14.
#98X, Michael Roselli, Jr., Brodheadsville, Penn.; 15. #21L, Jon Heydenreich,
Bloomsburg, Penn.; 16. #8, Mike Streicher, Findlay, Ohio; (Did not start -
#15X, P.J. Jones, Torrance, Calif.)
A Feature: 1. #47, Cory
Kruseman, Ventura, Calif.; 2. #86, Shane Cottle, Oakland, Ill.; 3. #2K, Bud
Kaeding, Campbell, Calif.; 4. #7B, Joe Boyles, Greenwood, Mo.; 5. #40, Tracy
Hines, New Castel, Ind.; 6. #01, Greg Lueckert, Parkville, Mo.; 7. #V4, Boyd
Calvert, DeForest, Wis.; 8. #54, Matt Westfall, Ludlow Falls, Ohio; 9. #29,
Jason Leffler, Long Beach, Calif.; 10. #31, Don Lehmann, Springfield, Ill.;
11. #11, Kevin Doty, Burlington, Iowa; 12. #33, Keith Rauch, Edgewater,
Colo.; 13. #1, Sammy Swindell, Bartlett, Tenn.; 14. #17K, Kevin Olson,
Rockford, Ill.; 15. #94, Michael Lang, Indianapolis, Ind.; 16. #97C, Casey
Slocum, Denver, Colo.; 17. #51, Mike Hess, Petersburg, Ill.; 18. #88, Dan
Boorse, Milwaukee, Wis.; 19. #1ST, Gary Wright, Hooks, Texas; 20. #11W, Dave
Darland, Indianapolis, Ind.; 21. #4, Jimmy Sills, Placerville, Calif.; 22.
#7C, Critter Malone, Speedway, Ind.; 23. #71, Ricky Shelton, Huntington
Beach, Calif
