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(December, 2003) The
2003 season was our team's first experience as members of the NCMA.
It was an exciting one, and the camaraderie that occurs with a
touring club was one of the things that drew us to the club. This
traveling group of wingless carburated sprints competes on both dirt
and asphalt tracks. It was a valuable learning experience to expand
our driver and crew's knowledge of setting up and driving on a wide
variety of tracks. The most impressive aspect of this group is the
fact that everyone is working towards the common goal of having fun
racing.
TBS's Scott Holloway from Oakley was the overall Champion in
combined points as well as dirt points, and this was his 6th
Championship in the club. Scott had many exciting feature wins,
including a memorable one at Twin Cities in Marysville in his dad's
car, which they refer to as "Old Blue". He also set a new
track record in qualifying at Lakeport Speedway. Not only is Scott
an experienced driver, he was the club's business manager, and was
responsible for negotiating race dates and purses with track
promoters.
For several drivers, their fun entailed learning to drive on
an asphalt track. Newcomers to this surface were George Terry, Sam
Davies, Keith Shipherd, and rookies John Fenton and Michael Zarevich.
With the help from the pavement veterans in the club, they all
learned fast. The asphalt championship was won by Alum-Line's Pat
Ariaz, in a close contest that went down to the wire with only 8
points separating Ariaz and Scott Holloway after the last race at
Altamont Raceway Park. Pat was also the club president this season,
and helped to secure sponsors for several of the pavement races.
The" Flying Farmer" veteran driver Ed Amador had a stellar
season, finishing a strong 2nd in both dirt and the combined series
points. J&J Dairy's Amador had several feature wins and numerous
top 5 finishes, missing only one race when he was sick in bed, which
happened to be a double points race. Ed also contributed his
business savvy by obtaining sponsorship for the club.
Last season's Rookie of the Year finished 3rd in combined points and
took the honors for this year's Most Improved Driver award. Russ
Wullenwaber, Jr. was thrilled with his first heat race win, a fast
qualifying time, and a first trophy dash win, and his team's
enthusiasm was contagious. Russ finished 3rd in combined season
points in just his second season in a sprint car. Russ's wife
Kasondra also made a major effort to keep things running smoothly in
the club, filling the positions of club secretary, treasurer, and
points keeper, too.
Three drivers began their rookie seasons this year, Bruce Slover,
John Fenton, and Michael Zarevich. All of them had the benefit of
experienced drivers taking them under their wing, small improvements
were always acknowledged, and they each enjoyed personal victories
along the way. Zarevich's blown engine late in the season held him
back some in points, and John Fenton from Bakersfield took the
honors for 2003 Rookie of the Year. All of these young drivers show
a lot of promise for next season.
One of the most consistent drivers was OCR's Burt Siverling, who
finished 4th in combined points. Burt frequently showed up at the
track without a crew, but was always one of the first to lend a hand
if someone needed help. Burt's attitude represents the great
sportsmanship that was a weekly occurrence in the club. Another
great sport was George Terry. If there had been a hard luck award,
he would have received it, as he had more than his share of tough
luck this season. That did not affect George's generosity, which he
demonstrated many times when he offered to loan his spare car to
other drivers. George received an honorable mention for his good
sportsmanship, and the 2003 Sportsmanship award was given to
"Dr." Don Hicks who was generous with spare part loans and
advice.
Keith Shipherd finished 5th in overall points, and enjoyed a feature
win at Altamont in just his second race on asphalt. The team had fun
getting to know drivers, crews, and families during pot luck BBQ's
and camping in the pits, and the group elected Keith to be the
club's president in 2004. Tracy's Danny Olmstead enjoyed
several races with the club at Chowchilla Speedway and Fernley,
Nevada, and had feature wins at each track. Doug Gandy also captured
an exciting feature win this season. Most of the club's drivers are
self supporting, so they raced when they could, but each and every
one of them contributed to a fun and exciting season of racing.
For racers the business of promoting themselves and racing is a big
responsibility. The NCMA teams all made huge efforts to promote the
club, visiting with track promoters and announcers before the races,
and by connecting with their fans with t-shirt giveaways,
autographs, and frisbee throws for free pizza. Promotion in the
media and on the internet is also a necessity, and it could not have
been possible without the encouragement and invaluable support from
Don O'Keefe, Norm Bogan, Lance Jennings, and our new friend, Debi
Supan. Thank you all for your what you do for our racers and for the
sport. Drive safe, have fun, and take care.
2003 Combined Points (Dirt and Asphalt) Top 10
1. Scott Holloway
2. Ed Amador
3. Russ Wullenwaber
4. Burt Siverling
5. Keith Shipherd
6. John Fenton
7. Pat Ariaz
8. George Terry
9. Michael Zarevich
10. Steve Amador
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