SANTA MARIA, CA, JUNE 15, 2002 - Sometimes if you go back to what you know,
it'll take you back to where you belong.  At least, that's what Richard Griffin would tell you following his 30-lap victory Saturday at Santa Maria Speedway.

For most of the year, the Ron Chaffin owned Arizona Race Mart Team has tried a few different things when setting up their Jon Boy Chassis.  Unfortunately, the end result has been a car that hasn't exactly fit Griffin's driving style.  Going back to what they know, Crew Chief Bruce Bromme, Jr. gave Griffin a more familiar setup.  The decision paid immediate dividends and Griffin left SMS with his first main event win of the season, the Sander Engineering Fast Time Award and the NAPA Auto Parts / Auto Trader Magazines SCRA point lead. 

"We went back to the same stuff we were running last year, " Griffin said after collecting his 39th lifetime SCRA win.  "We had a good car all night and I felt a ton more comfortable in the car and when you're comfortable you can drive that much harder."

Heading into the weekend, many felt that a visit to Santa Maria Speedway was just what Griffin needed.  Having now won four of the last six SMS races, Griffin was able to end a 21 race winless skid that dated back to his last Santa Maria triumph in September. 

Griffin started the main event in the second row behind Bobby Graham and Rip Williams.  Even though Graham had just driven Carol Crossno / Pace Hallmark No. 38 TCR to his first career JE Pistons Dash win, Williams' experience proved to be too much for him on the start.  The end of lap one saw Rickie Gaunt running third ahead of Griffin, Gary W. Howard and the Ferreira Dairy No. 87 Avenger driven by Tony Jones.    

Five laps into the race, Griffin slipped by Gaunt in turn two.  Remarkably, Williams reached lapped traffic on that same lap.  Graham was also working lapped traffic when Griffin passed him on the seventh circuit.  Once in second place, "The Gasman" quickly narrowed Williams' lead.

Just past the midway point, Williams and Griffin were faced with a pack of nine slower cars.  Thanks to some calculated moves through lapped traffic, Williams had opened up a small advantage over Griffin when the yellow flag waved less than four laps from the finish for a turn four tangle involving Howard and Bobby Cody.           

At the time of the yellow flag, Williams was in the process of trying to put Charles Davis, Jr. a lap down.  Not reacting to the yellow light as quickly as Davis, Williams clipped Davis' right rear tire and was sent hard into the wall.  Even though Williams' car flipped after hitting the wall, he was not hurt. 

"Luck in racing is a big deal," Griffin candidly stated.  "Last week, we got spun out in the main event and it wasn't anyone's fault, it was just bad luck…I think we got paid back tonight."

Griffin restarted the feature with two lapped cars between himself and second place Jones.  To his credit, Jones made a valiant run at Griffin in the final laps, but his Johnny Vermeer / Bubby Jones owned machine would simply run out of time.  Mike Kirby won the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award after driving the Brad & Nancy Geurin / Statewide Towing No. 5 Stinger from tenth to finish third.  Fourth place Graham added to his memorable night by posting his best SCRA finish.  Gaunt kept the Alexander Trucking No. 4 Stinger/Okie near the front and was reward with a fifth place finish.  

SCRA RACE #14 - SANTA MARIA SPEEDWAY, SANTA MARIA, CA
Date of Race: 06/15/02

SANDER ENGINEERING TIME TRIALS
1. Richard Griffin, Silver City NM, Chaffin 50, 14,053  2. Danny Sheridan, Santa Maria CA, DiDonato 57, 14.061  3. Gary W. Howard, Fontana CA, Ruth 25, 14,074  4. Rodney Argo, Gardena CA, Argo 19, 14.122  5. Mike Kirby, Torrance CA.,Geurin 5, 14.170  6. Rickie Gaunt, Torrance CA, Alexander 4, 14.230  7. Bobby Graham, Riverside CA.,Crossno 38, 14.347  8. Rip Williams, Yorba Linda CA, Jory 3, 14.370 9. Mike English, Norwalk CA, Jory 6, 14.413  10. Tony Jones, Garden Grove CA, Vermeer/Jones 87, 14.448  11. Cory Kruseman, Ventura CA, Willis 1, 14.463  12. John Scott, Hesperia CA, Scott Mtrsprts 83, 14.518 13. Steve Ostling, Corona CA, Fischer Mtrspts 29, 14.588  14. Casey Shuman, Tempe AZ, Pratt 12, 14.594  15. Bobby Cody, (R) Costa Mesa CA, Cody 41, 14.615  16. Mike Spencer, Temecula CA, Engstrom 44, 14.761  17. Jordan Hermansader, Long Beach CA, Lancaster 14, 14.838  18. Charles Davis, Jr, Buckeye AZ, Davis 94, 14.960  19. David Sprigg, Sacramento CA, Sprigg 44D, 15.280  20. Steve DeMott, Santa Maria CA, DeMott 35, 15.538  21. Denise Cline, Santa Clarita CA, Cline 11, No Time

HEDMAN HEDDERS HEAT 1
1. Steve Ostling, 2. Mike Spencer, 3. Tony Jones, 4. Richard Griffin, 5. Bobby Graham, 6. Rodney Argo, 7. David Sprigg,

SHAVER ENGINES HEAT 2
1. Casey Shuman, 2, Rip Williams, 3. Jordan Hermansader, 4. Cory Kruseman, 5.  Danny Sheridan, 6. Mike Kirby, 7. Steve DeMott,

SPIN TECH MUFFLERS/STINGER CHASSIS HEAT 3
1. Gary W. Howard, 2. Rickie Gaunt, 3. John Scott, 4. Mike English, 5. Bobby Cody, 6, Charles Davis, Jr,

JE PISTONS DASH
1. Bobby Graham. 2. Rip Williams. 3. Richard Griffin. 4. Rickie Gaunt. 5. Danny Sheridan. 6. Gary W. Howard. 7. Mike English. 8. Tony Jones.

A FEATURE (30 Laps)
1. Richard Griffin. 2. Tony Jones. 3. Mike Kirby. 4. Bobby Graham. 5. Rickie Gaunt. 6. Mike English. 7. Danny Sheridan, 8. Rodney Argo. 9. John Scott. 10. Gary W. Howard. 11. Charles Davis, Jr.  12. Steve Ostling.  13. Cory Kruseman. 14. Mike Spencer.
15. Bobby Cody. 16. Casey Shuman, 17. David Sprigg. 18. Steve DeMott. 19. Rip
Williams. 20. Denise Cline, 21. Jordan Hermansader.
Laps Led: Williams 1-26, Griffin 27-30

SCRA Point Standings as of: 06/15/02
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CAR           NAME                      HOMETOWN          STARTS POINTS
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    1.  50  Richard Griffin         Silver City NM      14  811
    2.  29  Steve Ostling           Corona CA           14  805
    3.  87  Tony Jones              Garden Grove CA 14  791
    4.  1   Cory Kruseman           Ventura CA          14  773
    5.  3   Rip Williams            Yorba Linda CA      14  714
    6.  5   Mike Kirby              Torrance CA     13  695
    7.  83  John Scott              Hesperia CA     14  684
    8.  7   Jeremy Sherman      Phoenix AZ          13  674
    9.  20  Damion Gardner          Concord CA          13  574
    10. 94  Charles Davis, Jr       Buckeye AZ      14  569
    11. 4   Rickie Gaunt            Torrance CA     14  554
    12. 21J Troy Rutherford         Ojai CA             11  523
    13. 6   Mike English            Norwalk CA          14  499
    14. 25  Gary W. Howard      Fontana CA          11  415
    15. 38  Bobby Graham            Riverside CA        14  405
    16. 19  Rodney Argo         Gardena CA      13  315
    17. 57  Danny Sheridan          Santa Maria CA      11  270
    18. 38  Levi Jones              Olney IL            6   213
    19. 41  Bobby Cody          (R) Costa Mesa CA   14  213
    20. 99  Adam Mitchell           Escondido CA        11  211