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RUTHERFORD GETS 1ST MANZY WIN |
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PHOENIX, AZ, NOVEMBER 8, 2002 - Troy Rutherford drove to a hard-fought
20-lap preliminary win Friday at Manzanita Speedway. Driving for the team
that won the 2001 NAPA Auto Parts / Budweiser Western World Championships,
Rutherford's win puts the Mark Priestley / Roy Miller Freightlines No. 7 Stealth
on the front row for the "Western" with Bud Kaeding for the second
straight year. Feeling no added pressure driving the car that had won four of the last six times it had run at Manzanita Speedway, Rutherford appeared pleased just to have put his name on the list of SCRA / NWWC winners at Manzy. "Manzy finally gave us one. We've led a lot of laps here and always seemed to have something bite us. I know it was only 20 laps, but it still felt good to click one off with the competition that's out here," Rutherford said after getting his first win of the season. "I think you'll jinx yourself if you start taking on the responsibility that you're driving the car that won the Western World. The only pressure you have is the pressure you put on yourself. All you can do is just get in there, stay focused, and give it 110%." Rutherford started on the pole with Tracy Hines to his outside. Hines took the lead at the start and was chased by Rutherford, Tony Elliott, Richard Griffin, J.J. Yeley and Sander Engineering Fast Time Award winner Damion Gardner. Even though his plan before the race was to simply finish in the top-eight and earn an automatic transfer into Saturday's finale, Rutherford tried a daring turn three slid-job for the lead on the eighth lap. Sliding wildly up the racetrack, Rutherford did a superb job just to keep from sliding over the cushion and hitting the fence. Equally as impressive, was Hines, who crossed-over to the bottom-line at precisely the right moment to take the lead back. "I didn't think that it was as greasy as it was down on the bottom, and I got down there and it just shot me right to the top. I wasn't expecting that, and I don't think Tracy was either," Rutherford candidly admitted. "Luckily, he's an experienced driver that knew to get out of the gas and turn it down rather than wiping both of us out." Fifth place Gardner saw any hopes he still entertained for winning the NWWC title end on lap ten after he slowed to a stop with a flat left rear tire. Hines drifted over the turn-three cushion after the restart giving Rutherford all the assistance he needed to take the lead. Hines ran into problems on a lap 14 restart, as well, and was forced to watch Elliott and Griffin drive past him. Three laps later, Yeley put his G.T. Racing / ABC Sand & Rock No. 76 Twister ahead of Hines with a nice turn-one slider. Later that same lap, rookie Alan Ballard skated over the turn four cushion trying to avoid contact with Verne Sweeney and flipped after hitting the wall. Ballard was not hurt. Surprising Rutherford on the restart, Elliott jumped off the turn four cushion giving his BWB Racing / Coyote Express No. 26 J&J the lead. Elliott's great move would, however; be negated by Cal Smith, who flipped in turn three before reaching the green flag. Smith walked away from the accident without injury. Restarting on the cushion this time, Rutherford pulled away from Elliot and went on to complete the last three laps without challenge. Perhaps the most dramatic moment of the race occurred on lap 18. Moments after Yeley had passed the Ron Chaffin /Arizona Race Mart No. 50 Jon Boy driven by Griffin for third, the top-two drivers in the NWWC point standings tangled along the backstraight. Traveling over 100 mph, Yeley spun completely around without hitting anything. Remarkably, Yeley motored-on and was able to finish in the fourth position. Heading into Saturday's NWWC finale, Yeley trails Griffin by 36 points. Jones finished fifth in the Ferreira Dairy No.87 Avenger earning a direct A-Main transfer with Rick Ziehl (6th), Danny Sheridan (7th) and Hines (8th). ### SCRA RACE #41 - MANZANITA SPEEDWAY, PHOENIX, AZ (NWWC) Date of Race: 11/8/02 SANDER ENGINEERING TIME TRIALS 1. Damion Gardner, Gardner 20, 18.967, 2. J.J. Yeley, G.T. Racing 76, 19.037, 3. Casey Shuman, Pratt 12, 19.389, 4. Tony Elliott, BWB Racing 26, 19.393, 5. Richard Griffin, Chaffin 50, 19.514, 6. Tracy Hines, Morales 27, 19.573, 7. Rick Ziehl, R&R Racing 35, 19.611, 8. Troy Rutherford, Priestley 7, 19.689, 9. Tony Jones, Vermeer/Jones 87, 19.735, 10. Steve Ostling, Fischer Motorsports 29, 19.862, 11. Danny Sheridan, Dorathy 21A, 19.980, 12. Mike Spencer, Engstrom 44 , 20.029, 13. Steve Cushman, Cushman 30X, 20.085, 14. Verne Sweeney, Sweeney 98, 20.220, 15. Jordan Hermansader, Ruth 25, 20.281, 16. Cal Smith, Pratt 39, 20.453, 17. Brian Tyler, K&D Motorsports 6T, 20.488, 18. Tim Crawley, Minks XX, 20.504, 19. Brian Stanfill, Lancaster 14, 20.685 20. Alan Ballard, Ballard 97, 20.762, 21. Dennis Rodriguez, Downing 90X, 20.978 22. Jonathan Vennard, K&D Motorsports 6V, 21.042, 23. A.J. Felker, Felker 37, 21.060, 24. Davey Bateman, Carsten 91AZ, 21.192, 26. J.J. Solem, Sweeney 98X, 25.763, 27. Mathew Rossi, Victory Lane 14A, No Time HEDMAN HEDDERS HEAT 1 1. Smith, 2. Stanfill, 3. Ostling, 4. Gardner, 5. Elliott, 6. Ziehl, 7. Cushman, 8. Vennard, 9. Solem SHAVER ENGINES HEAT 2 1. Tyler, 2. Griffin, 3. Sheridan, 4. Yeley, 5. Rutherford, 6. Felker, 7. Ballard, 8. Sweeney SPIN TECH MUFFLERS / STINGER CHASSIS HEAT 3 1. Crawley, 2. Spencer, 3. Hines, 4. T. Jones, 5. Hermansader, 6. Shuman, 7. Rodriguez, 8. Bateman. B FEATURE 1. Shuman, 2. Ziehl, 3. Sweeney, 4. Cushman, 5. Vennard, 6. Felker, 7. Ballard, 8. Rodriguez, 9. Bateman, 10. Rossi, 11. Solem. A FEATURE (20 Laps) 1. Rutherford, 2. Elliott, 3.Griffin, 4. Yeley, 5. T. Jones, 6. Ziehl, 7. Sheridan, 8. Hines, 9. Crawley, 10. Shuman, 11. Ostling, 12. Spencer, 13. Hermansader, 14. Tyler, 15. Stanfill, 16. Sweeney, 17. Cushman, 18. Felker, 19. Ballard, 20. Vennard, 21. Smith, 22. Gardner. Laps Led: Hines 1-9, Rutherford 10-20 |
