PERRIS, CA, MARCH 2, 2002 - During the course of his extraordinary 15-year sprint car career, Mike Kirby has had some tremendous runs from deep in the starting grid.  Even though Saturday night's 13th to first run at the Perris Auto Speedway may not been the most spectacular win he has ever posted, it certainly ranked near the top.

Now with 37 career NAPA Auto Parts / Auto Trader Magazines Sprint Car Racing Association (SCRA) wins on his resume, Kirby pushed off for the 30 lap main event just hoping to give the Brad & Nancy Geurin / Statewide Towing No. 5 Stinger a good finish.      

"I really didn't think that I could win it from back there with all those good cars in front of me," Kirby said with a pleasantly surprised tone.  "I watched Mike English run the dash and I thought he was the man to beat and Cory Kruseman has owned this place lately."

Kirby's pre-race assessment of JE Pistons Dash winner English looked pretty accurate after starter Lee Jaskowiak waved the green flag.  English jumped into the lead from the pole at the start as inside second row starter Troy Rutherford pushed ahead of Richard Griffin even before the field had reached turn one.  Griffin pulled back ahead of Rutherford at the end of the opening lap with Levi Jones and Rip Williams closely behind.

English was under some pressure from the cushion-riding Griffin when he mysteriously slowed prior to completing the fifth lap.  It was later learned that English wisely reduced his pace because his safety belts had come loose.  English had an opportunity to strap himself back in properly during a caution period for Bud Kaeding, who slid to a stop after bicycling over the turn one cushion.    

Kirby was lined up in third for the restart when Rutherford darted low and passed Griffin for the lead coming down to accept the green flag. Unfortunately for Rutherford and the Jack Gardner, Jr. / Barnes Systems No. 96 Sled, Steve Venard spun and negated the restart.  Griffin shrewdly restarted the next time using the bottom of the race track and was able to keep Rutherford behind him.  The restart proved to be less than kind to Rutherford, who found himself in fourth behind Kirby and Kruseman before another lap could be officially notched on the score sheet. 

Glued to the bottom groove, Kruseman passed Griffin for the lead on the eleventh circuit.  Kruseman's run to the front from the ninth starting spot was remarkable to say the least.  After winning the Sander Engineering Fast Award, Kruseman tried to avoid an incident on the opening lap of his heat race and flipped after making heavy contact with the wall.  From that point forward, the Harlan Willis crew had to work hard just to get the WorldGate Networks No. 1 TCR back on the track.

Even though Kirby was still sitting in third place, it was obvious that he was the man that Kruseman would have to contend with since Griffin was committed to the cushion.  Perhaps more than any other driver, Kirby had tried a number of different lines at various points of the race.  Seemingly always a step ahead of everyone else, Kirby appeared to know the exact moment to change his racing line.  In retrospect, having to pass so many cars, using so many different lines, might have been an advantage in the closing stages of the race because Kirby was noticeably more comfortable than anyone else on the wind tortured Perris racing surface.   

"I would have much rather started on the pole," laughed Kirby at the notion that having 12 cars ahead of him was an advantage.  "But, if there was ever a night where it seemed that I was at the right place at the right time, it was tonight."

Working lap 17, Kirby was now up to second when he took his first stab at the lead running about a car width off the turn four cushion.  Kruseman held on to the lead forcing Kirby to regroup.  Kirby patiently waited for another opportunity.  That opportunity came on lap 22 using the same line as his prior attempt.   

"I knew I was better than Kruseman because they bent that thing up pretty good tonight, but for me to get by him in turn four I knew I had to be even with him coming off of two.  I tried it once before and lost about five car lengths, but I knew if I could stay even with him into turn three that I had a shot at him," Kirby later said of his race winning pass.  "It's just nice to get off to a good start and win something early in the year."

Kruseman finished an admirable second ahead of SCRA point leader Rutherford and Griffin.  Jeremy Sherman won the KSE Products Hard Charger Award after coming from the 20th starting position to finish fifth.        

 
###


NAPA/AUTO TRADER SCRA RACE #2 - PERRIS AUTO SPEEDWAY, PERRIS, CA
Date of Race: 03/02/02

SANDER ENGINEERING TIME TRIALS
1. Cory Kruseman, Ventura CA, Willis 1 , 16.684  2. John Scott, Hesperia CA, Scott Mtrsprts 83 , 16.701  3. Gary W. Howard, Fontana CA, Ruth 25 , 16.718  4. Rickie Gaunt, Torrance CA, Alexander 4, 16.757  5. Levi Jones, Olney IL, Crossno 38, 16.760  6. Richard Griffin, Silver City NM, Chaffin 50, 16.766 7. Troy Rutherford, Ojai CA, Gardner Jr 96 , 16.808  8. Mark Nation, Los Olivos CA, Nation    3N 16.810  9. Mike English, Norwalk CA, Jory 6 , 16.885  10. Ronnie Clark, Tucson AZ, Clark 33 , 16.917  11. Tony Jones, Garden Grove
CA.,Vermeer/Jones 87, 16.943  12. Bobby Graham, Riverside CA, Lancaster 14 , 16.944  13.  Rodney Argo, Gardena CA.,Argo 19 , 16.949 14. Rip Williams, Yorba Linda CA, Jory 3 , 17.018  15. Mike Kirby, Lomita CA, Geurin, 17.065 16. Steve Ostling, Corona CA, Fischer Mtrspts 29, 17.070  17. Steve Venard, Silverado CA, Glover 49, 17.080 18. Charles Davis, Jr, Buckeye AZ, Davis 94 , 17.080  19. Tony Elliott, Kokomo IN, Gardner Jr 96X , 17.115  20. Andy Forsberg, Auburn CA, Forsberg 192, 17.118  21.  Michael Hinrichsen, Lakeside CA, Lake Mtrsprts. 16 , 17.179  22. Bud Kaeding, Campbell CA, Cheney. 2IJ, 17.195  23. Jordan Hermansader, Long Beach CA, Pratt 12 , 17.213  24. Jeremy Sherman, Phoenix AZ, Priestley 7 , 17.230  25. Keith Williamson, Pomona CA, Williamson 95 , 17.255  26. Marc Hart, Ventura CA, Hart 15, 17.272  27. Verne Sweeney, Lomita CA, Sweeney 98 , 17.279  28. Charlie Ekiss, La Mesa CA.,Ekiss 78 , 17.303  29. Rick Becker, Highland CA, Becker 67 , 17.417  30. Danny Sheridan, Santa Maria CA, DiDonato 57 , 17.467  31. Mike Spencer, Temecula CA, Engstrom 44, 17.493  32. Jack DeArmond, Jr., Corona CA, DeArmond, Jr. 24 , 17.497  33. Tony Smiley, Buckeye AZ, Smiley 2, 17.570  34. Dan Hillberg, Whittier CA, Hillberg 82, 17.650  35. Bobby Cody, (R) Costa Mesa CA, Cody 41 , 17.704  36. Damion Gardner, Concord CA, Gardner 20X, 17.762  37. Mel Murphy, Woodcrest CA, Murphy 62 , 17.828  38. Lance Gremett, San Marcos CA,
Gremett 85, 17.833  39. John Aden, (R) Apple Valley CA, Aden 77 , 17.941  40. David Sinsley, Torrance CA, Sinsley 69X, 18.710  41. Mark Heidenreich, (R) Upland CA, Heidenreich 2X , 18.752  42. Bob Johnson, (R) Perris CA, Johnson 81, 22.010  43. Brian Venard, Tustin CA, Venard. 47, No Time

C FEATURE
1. Lance Gremett. 2. Bobby Cody. 3. Tony Smiley. 4. Dan Hillberg. 5. Damion Gardner. 6. Mark Heidenreich.  7. Bob Johnson. 8. David Sinsley. 9. Mel Murphy. 10, John Aden.

HEDMAN HEDDERS HEAT 1
1. Mike English, 2. Levi Jones, 3, Lance Gremett, 4. Steve Venard, 5. Rick Becker, 6. Michael Hinrichsen, 7. Keith Williamson, 8. Rodney Argo, 9. Cory Kruseman,

SHAVER ENGINES HEAT 2
1. Bud Kaeding, 2. Richard Griffin, 3. Rip Williams, 4. John Scott, 5. Charles Davis, Jr, 6. Ronnie Clark, 7. Bobby Cody, 8. Danny Sheridan, 9. Marc Hart,

SPIN TECH MUFFLER HEAT 3
1. Verne Sweeney, 2. Tony Elliott, 3. Mike Kirby, 4. Troy Rutherford, 5. Jordan Hermansader, 6. Gary W. Howard, 7. Mike Spencer, 8. Tony Smiley,

STINGER CHASSIS HEAT 4
1. Jeremy Sherman, 2. Steve Ostling, 3. Bobby Graham, 4. Rickie Gaunt, 5. Andy Forsberg, 6. Charlie Ekiss, 7. Jack DeArmond, Jr., 8. Dan Hillberg, 9.
Mark Nation,

JE PISTONS DASH
1. Mike English. 2. Richard Griffin. 3. Troy Rutherford. 4. Rickie Gaunt. 5. Rip Williams. 6. Bobby Graham. 7. Levi Jones, 8. John Scott.

B FEATURE 
1. Tony Jones. 2. Cory Kruseman. 3. Gary W. Howard. 4. Mark Nation. 5. Charles Davis, Jr. 6. Michael Hinrichsen. 7. Mike Spencer. 8. Jordan Hermansader,  9. Danny Sheridan. 10.  Ronnie Clark. 11. Charlie Ekiss.  12. Jack DeArmond, Jr.  13.  Marc Hart. 14. Bobby Cody. 15. Tony Smiley. 16.  Dan Hillberg. 17.  Andy Forsberg.

A FEATURE (30 Laps)
1. Mike Kirby. 2. Cory Kruseman, 3. Troy Rutherford, 4. Richard Griffin. 5. Jeremy Sherman. 6. Rip Williams. 7. Steve Ostling, 8. Gary W. Howard. 9. Rickie Gaunt. 10.  Tony Jones. 11.  Levi Jones, 12.  Charles Davis, Jr. 13. Bobby Graham. 14. Tony Elliott. 15.  John Scott, 16.  Mark Nation. 17.  Steve Venard. 18. Bud Kaeding. 19. Verne Sweeney. 20.  Lance Gremett, 21. Michael Hinrichsen. 22. Mike English.
Laps Led: English 1-4, Griffin 5-10, Kruseman 11-21, Kirby 22-30


SCRA DRIVER POINTS as 3/2/02

CAR           NAME                 HOMETOWN           STARTS POINTS
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-

    1.  96  Troy Rutherford     Ojai CA             2   137
    2.  50  Richard Griffin     Silver City NM      2   124
    3.  87  Tony Jones          Garden Grove CA 2   108
    4.  5   Mike Kirby          Lomita CA           2   106
    5.  38  Levi Jones          Olney IL            2   97
    6.  1   Cory Kruseman       Ventura CA          2   95
    7.  83  John Scott          Hesperia CA     2   94
    8.  3   Rip Williams        Yorba Linda CA      2   93
    9.  7   Jeremy Sherman  Phoenix AZ          2   84
    10. 21J J.J. Yeley          Phoenix AZ          1   78
    11. 14  Bobby Graham        Riverside CA        2   78
    12. 96X Tony Elliott            Kokomo IN           2   75
    13. 4   Rickie Gaunt        Torrance CA     2   58
    14. 29  Steve Ostling       Corona CA           2   54
    15. 25  Gary W. Howard  Fontana CA          2   50
    16. 94  Charles Davis, Jr   Buckeye AZ      2   48
    17. 41  Bobby Cody      (R) Costa Mesa CA   2   41
    18. 6   Mike English        Norwalk CA          2   39
    19. 2   Tony Smiley     Buckeye AZ      2   38
    20. 16  Michael Hinrichsen  Lakeside CA     2   35