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Lonnie Wheatley – TULSA, Okla.
(January 8, 2003) – Dan Boorse kicked off the 17th Annual Chili Bowl Midget
Nationals by slipping underneath race-long leader Jimmy Sills exiting turn four
on the 15th round en route to winning Wednesday night’s Bud Shootout Qualifying
25-lap feature at Tulsa Expo Raceway.
“It was fairly difficult to pass tonight, so I knew the best chance to get
around him would be on a restart” stated Boorse in the post-race press
conference. “Fortunately he hooked the cushion and I just happened to be in the
right place.”
Sills, who displayed why he’s the “professor” of a dirt track driving school,
explained, “The car was getting tighter and tighter as the race went on, and I
finally caught the ledge in turn four and Dan was there to take advantage.”
Jerry Coons, Jr., who earned the pole position for the feature by charging from
sixth starting position to win the third of nine qualifying heat races, led the
22-car field to the green flag with Sills alongside. Coons got loose exiting
turn two on the opening round and fell to mid-pack as Sills assumed command.
Sills paced the early rounds with Boorse and Troy Rutherford in pursuit, while
Jason Meyers passed Chad DeSelle for fourth on the fifth lap. Sills held a
narrow four car-length advantage over Boorse and Rutherford until lapped
traffic came into play on the 11th circuit.
With Sills blocked behind a dueling pair of backmarkers, Boorse and Rutherford
quickly closed the gap, with Rutherford getting around Boorse for second on the
12th lap. With Sills on the high side, Rutherford made a bid for the lead
entering the third turn on the 13th round, momentarily nosing ahead of Sills
before hitting the berm and spinning, bringing out the race’s first caution.
With Rutherford relegated to the rear, Sills held off Boorse on the ensuing
restart, only to have the caution fly two rounds later for a John Wolfe spin in
turn two. Sills set sail on the restart in Murray Erickson’s Budweiser
Gaerte-powered TCR, however when he hooked the turn four cushion, Boorse ducked
underneath into a lead he wouldn’t relinquish.
Boorse’s charge to the checkered flag was briefly interrupted by a three-car
tangle in turn two after 18 laps. The 1999 Chili Bowl champion had the field
covered over the final seven circuits as he charged to the checkered flag
unchallenged aboard his Weiland Race Enterprise Gaerte Ford-powered Stealth to
secure the Bud Shootout Qualifying triumph.
Sills held second to the line, while Meyers made a strong Midget racing debut
aboard Dallen McKenney’s Gowens-powered TCR, posting a solid third place
finish. Danny Lasoski passed Teddy Beach for fourth on the lap 15 restart and
held the fourth and final Chili Bowl Nationals main event transfer position to
the line.
2001 Chili Bowl winner Jay Drake came from 10th to round out the top five, with
Matt Westfall charging from 18th to claim sixth. Jeff Flesher crossed the
stripe in seventh, with Nick Lundgreen, DeSelle and Bobby East completing the
top ten.
Sixty-five cars signed in for Wednesday night’s Bud Shootout Qualifying action,
with Rutherford, Beach, Coons, Flesher, Meyers, Lasoski, Justin Allgaier, Aaron
Fiscus and Mathew Neely topping heat race action. Lundgreen and East topped the
twin 15-lap B Features, with Dino Tomassi and Billy Wease winning the 12-lap C
Mains.
John Wolfe, who led the first half of his heat race before mechanical problems
sent him pitside, came from 7th to finish second in the first C Feature, then
charged from 16th to second in the first B Main, earning a transfer to the main
event.
There were four flip victims during the evening’s racing action, with Jimmy
Kite’s turn four endo in the second B Feature the most spectacular. Kite walked
away unscathed. Other flip victims included Alex Coonan in heat race action,
with A.J. Fike and Shane Cottle each turning over during B Main action.
First Heat (10 Laps): 1. #7r Troy Rutherford, Ojai, CA; 2. #8 Jimmy Sills,
Marysville, CA; 3. #4e Bobby East, Brownsburg, IN; 4. #8s Bobby Smith, Camby,
IN; 5. #7w Korey Weyant, Springfield, IL; 6. #30 Johnny Rodriguez, Elk Grove,
CA; 7. #15k Donnie Kratzberg, Fort Smith, AR; 8. #99d Shon Deskins, Phoenix,
AZ.
Second Heat (10 Laps): 1. #25b Teddy Beach, Donnelsville, OH; 2. #71 Jay Drake,
Val Verde, CA; 3. #44 Chad Branson, Sherman, IL; 4. #27a Amy Maris, Gilbert,
AZ; 5. #36 Brad Paris, Brownsburg, IN; 6. #13 Matt Walton, Tulsa, OK; 7. #76
Garrett Hanson, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. DNS: #7m David Langford, Blue Springs,
MO.
Third Heat (10 Laps): 1. #11c Jerry Coons, Jr., Tucson, AZ; 2. #40L Nick
Lundgreen, Indianapolis, IN; 3. #59 Jim Sawyer, Trenton, OH; 4. #30x Jimmy
Kite, Stockbridge, GA; 5. #2h Robert Harr, Arvada, CO; 6. #19n Nick O’Neal,
Wagoner, OK; 7. #44c Al Cole, McFarland, WI; 8. #94 Alex Coonan, Ransom, IL.
Fourth Heat (10 Laps): 1. #72 Jeff Flesher, Lexington, IL; 2. #14 Tony Rossi,
Arvada, CO; 3. #87x Cameron Dodson, Greenfield, IN; 4. #78d Jeff Heaton,
Ventura, CA; 5. #15m Chris Morway, Glastonbury, CT; 6. #95x Rik Forbes, Omaha,
NE.
Fifth Heat (10 Laps): 1. #88m Jason Meyers, Fresno, CA; 2. #25 Mike Farmer,
Colorado Springs, CO; 3. #51f Chris DeShon, Littleton, CO; 4. #35 Brandon
Petty, Alexandria, IN; 5. #76c James Chesson, Far Hills, NJ; 6. #12 Billy
Wease, Noblesville, IN; 7. #17 Doug McCune, Colleyville, TX.
Sixth Heat (10 Laps): 1. #20 Danny Lasoski, Dover, MO; 2. #81 Chad DeSelle, Sun
Prairie, WI; 3. #21k Kurt Mayhew, Demotte, IN; 4. #87 Rich Camfield, Decatur,
IL; 5. #29 Dino Tomassi, Fremont, CA; 6. #33a Stephen Arnold, Seymour, IN; 7.
#3m, John Wolfe, Winchester, IN.
Seventh Heat (10 Laps): 1. #85a Justin Allgaier, Riverton, IL; 2. #69 A.J.
Fike, Galesburg, IL; 3. #11s Matt Westfall, Ludlow, OH; 4. #Q4 Edwin Wilson,
Tuttle, OK; 5. #03 Bill Allen, Independence, MO; 6. #51n Mike Nigh, Brownsburg,
IN; 7. #3w Brandon Waelti, Sun Prairie, WI.
Eighth Heat (10 Laps): 1. #7f Aaron Fiscus, Sun Prairie, WI; 2. #55k Steve
Knepper, Belleville, IL; 3. #86 Shane Cottle, Kokomo, IN; 4. #45 Aaron Kirk,
Conroe, TX; 5. #15 Tim Siner, Waterloo, IL; 6. #19 Chris Wagner, Colorado
Springs, CO; 7. #27 Sparky Howard, Santa Rosa, CA.
Ninth Heat (10 Laps): 1. #17n Mathew Neely, Robinson, IL; 2. #88 Dan Boorse,
Milwaukee, WI; 3. #12h Rick Hendrix, Canoga Park, CA; 4. #1 Sammy Swindell,
Germantown, TN; 5. #00x John Giffin, Mnt. View, CA; 6. #4t Brian Terry, Monona,
WI; 7. #4g Ricky Gaunt, Torrance, CA.
First C Feature (12 Laps): 1. #29 Dino Tomassi, Fremont, CA; 2. #3m John Wolfe,
Winchester, IN; 3. #19 Chris Wagner, Colorado Springs, CO; 4. #99d Shon
Deskins, Phoenix, AZ; 5. #15k Donnie Kratzberg, Fort Smith, AR; 6. #44c Al
Cole, McFarland, WI; 7. #30 Johnny Rodriguez; 8. #19n Nick O’Neal, Wagoner, OK;
9. #7m David Langford, Blue Springs, MO; 10. #27 Sparky Howard, Santa Rosa, CA;
11. #00x John Giffin, Mnt. View, CA. DNS: #33a Stephen Arnold, Seymour, IN.
Second C Feature (12 Laps): 1. #12 Billy Wease, Noblesville, IN; 2. #3w Brandon
Waelti, Sun Prairie, WI; 3. #95x Rik Forbes, Omaha, NE; 4. #4t Brian Terry,
Monona, WI; 5. #76 Garrett Hanson, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA; 6. #51n Mike Nigh,
Brownsburg, IN; 7. #4g Ricky Gaunt, Torrance, CA; 8. #17 Doug McCune,
Colleyville, TX; 9. #03 Bill Allen, Independence, MO; 10. #94 Alex Coonan,
Ransom, IL. DNS: #13 Matt Walton, Tulsa, OK.
First B Feature (15 Laps): 1. #40L Nick Lundgreen, Indianapolis, IN; 2. #3m John
Wolfe, Winchester, IN; 3. #35 Brandon Petty, Alexandria, IN; 4. #17n Mathew
Neely, Robinson, IL; 5. #36 Brad Paris, Brownsburg, IN; 6. #8s Bobby Smith,
Camby, IN; 7. #78d Jeff Heaton, Ventura, CA; 8. #87x Cameron Dodson,
Greenfield, IN; 9. #45 Aaron Kirk, Conroe, TX; 10. #51f Chris DeShon,
Littleton, CO; 11. #29 Dino Tomassi, Fremont, CA; 12. #1 Sammy Swindell,
Germantown, TN; 13. #7w Korey Weyant, Springfield, IL; 14. #15m Chris Morway,
Glastonbury, CT; 15. #55k Steve Knepper, Belleville, IL; 16. #69 A.J. Fike,
Galesburg, IL.
Second B Feature (15 Laps): 1. #4e Bobby East, Brownsburg, IN; 2. #11s Matt
Westfall, Ludlow, OH, 3. #25 Mike Farmer, Colorado Springs, CO; 4. #12h Rick
Hendrix, Canoga Park, CA; 5. #87 Rich Camfield, Decatur, IL; 6. #15 Tim Siner,
Waterloo, IL; 7. #76c James Chesson, Far Hills, NJ; 8. #12 Billy Wease,
Noblesville, IN; 9. #2h Robert Harr, Arvada, CO; 10. #3w Brandon Waelti, Sun
Prairie, WI; 11. #21k Kurt Mayhew, Demotte, IN; 12. #44 Chad Branson, Sherman,
IL; 13. #Q4 Edwin Wilson, Tuttle, OK; 14. #27a Amy Maris, Phoenix, AZ; 15. #30x
Jimmy Kite, Stockbridge, GA; 16. #86 Shane Cottle, Kokomo, IN.
Bud Shootout Qualifying A Feature (25 Laps): 1. #88 Dan Boorse, Milwaukee, WI;
2. #8 Jimmy Sills, Marysville, CA; 3. #88m Jason Meyers, Milwaukee, WI; 4. #20
Danny Lasoski, Dover, MO; 5. #71 Jay Drake, Val Verde, CA; 6. #11s Matt
Westfall, Ludlow, OH; 7. #72 Jeff Flesher, Lexington, IL; 8. #40L Nick
Lundgreen, Indianapolis, IN; 9. #81 Chad DeSelle, Sun Prairie, WI; 10. #4e
Bobby East, Brownsburg, IN; 11. #7f Aaron Fiscus, Sun Prairie, WI; 12. #25b
Teddy Beach, Donnelsville, OH; 13. #14 Tony Rossi, Arvada, CO; 14. #7r Troy
Rutherford, Ojai, CA; 15. #59 Jim Sawyer, Trenton, OH; 16. #3m John Wolfe,
Winchester, IN; 17. #12h Rick Hendrix, Canoga Park, CA; 18. #35 Brandon Petty,
Alexandria, IN; 19. #11c Jerry Coons, Jr., Tucson, AZ; 20. #17n Mathew Neely,
Robinson, IL; 21. #25 Mike Farmer, Colorado Springs, CO; 22. #85a Justin
Allgaier, Riverton, IL.
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