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OSTLING WINS JACK KINDOLL CLASSIC |
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PERRIS, CA, NOVEMBER 16, 2002 - Prior to Saturday's season-ending Jack Kindoll
Classic at the Perris Auto Speedway, Steve Ostling openly boasted that this has
been the best of his 18 seasons driving sprint cars. Going out and adding
the biggest win of his NAPA / Auto Trader Magazines SCRA career only
further proved his point. Even though Ostling quickly dismisses such conjecture, the fact still remains that had Ostling and his Fischer Motorsports / Stress Relief Engineering Team been able to make the eight-race eastern tour, the final SCRA point standings might look considerably different. Truth be known, Ostling would have finished a comfortable second in series points if those races were removed from the schedule. "You really never know how things would have worked out. If nothing else, we let everyone know we're here," said Ostling, who will officially go down in the record books finishing seventh in series points this year. "It was a big night for us because I've never won anything over 30 laps, so to win a 50-lapper with all these guys out here, really feels great. We won a 20-lapper a few weeks ago with some of the best guys in the country here, and that was a little redemption for us since we didn't get to go on the (eastern) tour." Another longtime veteran, Gary W. Howard, had a little redemption of his own, winning his first career JE Pistons Passing Masters Dash. 2002 SCRA Champion Richard Griffin started outside of Howard on the front row and took the lead at the start of the 50-lap main event. Running third ahead of Ostling, Charlie Davis, Jr. and Damion Gardner at the end of the opening lap, Mike English took advantage of a Howard miscue on lap three and grabbed the second spot. One circuit later, Ostling was passed by Davis and Gardner on the backstraight. Making his first appearance behind the wheel of Harlan Willis' car, Gardner passed Davis entering turn three on the fifth lap and was attempting to pass Howard in turn four when he clipped Howard's right rear tire. Sustaining damage to his left front shock, Gardner limped around for a few laps before pitting under a lap-ten caution period. English darted under Griffin coming down to accept the green flag on the restart and secured the top spot after a slight bump exiting turn two. Making it a four-car battle for the lead, Ostling passed the Arizona Race Mart No. 94 Jon Boy driven by Davis for third on lap 12. Two laps later, Griffin made a spectacular move to take the lead back. Rubbing the wall in the process, Griffin slipped ahead of English along the backstraight. Ostling and Davis would drop English to fourth after a lap 15 restart. Using the low line, Ostling quickly reeled in the cushion-running Griffin. Diving to the bottom of turn one, Ostling bolted into the lead on lap 19. Unceremoniously, Griffin's championship season came to an end with a big puff of smoke shortly after a lap 28 restart. Gardner's stellar season also ended in less than dramatic fashion with a turn one spin on lap 30. Conversely, Davis was hoping to end his season of disappointments on a high-note. Muscling his way ahead of Ostling in turn two, Davis took the lead on the restart. Gaunt followed Davis ahead of Ostling, but would lose second place on the following lap after his Alexander Trucking No. 4 Okie/Stinger nearly collected the turn two wall trying to make a move for the lead. Gaunt dropped to sixth in the exchange, but would work his way back to earn a third place finish. With half of the 22 cars that started the race now retired in the pit area, Ostling hit the moisture spots perfectly exiting turn four and took the lead back on lap 35. Starting the night by driving his Steve Williby-Bruce Fischer prepared Okie to the Sander Engineering Fast Time Award, Ostling would end the night by gathering his seventh career SCRA win. "I was getting a little nervous because I was running the bottom, and the bottom usually goes away at some point. I did move up to the top in (turns) one and two because the bottom was getting slower and slower, but I still wasn't sure if the top was better in (turns) three and four. I wasn't going to worry about it until I saw somebody," Ostling later said. Making perhaps his final appearance in the Brad & Nancy Geurin / Statewide Towing No. 5 Stinger, Mike Kirby drove from the 17th starting position to finish inches behind Gaunt in fourth. Troy Rutherford would edge Kirby for the KSE Hard Charger Award after piloting the Mark Priestley / Roy Miller Freightliners No. 7 Stealth from 21st to sixth. Driving the Hal Engstrom / Instant Oil Change No. 44 Ellis, Mike Spencer drove to his second consecutive fifth place finish at Perris. SCRA RACE #43 - JACK KINDOLL CLASSIC - PERRIS AUTO SPEEDWAY, PERRIS, CA Date of Race: 11/16/02 SANDER ENGINEERING TIME TRIALS 1. Steve Ostling, Corona CA, Fischer Mtrspts 29, 16.055 2. Charles Davis, Jr, Buckeye AZ, Davis 94 , 16.630 3. Tony Jones, Garden Grove CA, Vermeer/Jones 87, 16.649 4. Damion Gardner, Concord CA, Willis 1, 16.691 5. Mike English, Norwalk CA, Jory. 6 16.721 6. Richard Griffin, Silver City NM, Chaffin 50 , 16.740 7. Gary W. Howard, Fontana CA, Ruth 25, 16.762 8. Levi Jones, Olney IL, Crossno 38, 16.848 9. Mike Spencer, Temecula CA.,Engstrom 44, 16.890 10. Rodney Argo, Gardena CA, Argo 19, 16.913 11. John Scott, Hesperia CA, Scott Mtrsprts 83, 16.955 12. Casey Shuman, Tempe AZ, Pratt 12, 16.995 13. Rickie Gaunt, Torrance CA, Alexander 4, 17.010 14. Rip Williams, Yorba Linda CA, Jory 3, 17.077 15. Tracy Hines, Greenfield IN, Morales 27, 17.123 16. Jordan Hermansader, Long Beach CA, Ruth. 25X, 17.127 17. Mike Kirby, Torrance CA, Geurin 5, 17.184 18. Cory Witherill, Santa Monica CA, Witherill 61, 17.188 19. Marc Hart, Ventura CA, Hart 15 , 17.203 20. Josh Ford, Camarillo CA, Ford 73, 17.245 21. Bobby Cody, (R) Costa Mesa CA, Cody 41, 17.275 22. Adam Mitchell, Escondido CA, Mitchell 99, 17.347 23. Dan Hillberg, Whittier CA, Hillberg 82, 17.349 24. Brian Stanfill, Las Vegas NV, Lancaster 14, 17.375 25. A.J. Felker, Jeffersonville IN, Felker 37, 17.384 26. Jack DeArmond, Jr., Corona CA, DeArmond, Jr. 24, 17.418 27. Troy Rutherford, Ojai CA, Priestley 7, 17.432 28. Seth Wilson, San Clemente CA, Racing Optics 17, 17.480 29. Rick Becker, Highland CA, Becker 67, 17.527 30. Richard Harvey, Jr, Hanford CA, Weber. 81J, 17.537 31. Danny Sheridan, Santa Maria CA, DiDonato 57, 17.575 32. Mark Heidenreich, (R) Upland CA, Heidenreich 22, 17.640 33. Brian Venard, Tustin CA, Venard, 47, 17.662 34. Tom Downing, Lakewood CA, Downing 90 , 17.777 35. Steve Venard, Silverado CA, Glover 49, 17.865 36. Keith Williamson, Pomona CA, Williamson 95, 17.924 37. Bob Ferro, Sherman Oaks CA, Ferro 91X, 18.047 38. Cal Smith, Montclair CA, Pratt 39, 18.238 39. Dennis Rodriguez, Camarillo CA, Downing, 90X, 18.509 40. Nicholas Lima, Industry CA, Lima 30, 18.550 41. David Sinsley, Torrance CA, Sinsley 69X, 18.905 42. Bill Goforth, (R) Apple Valley CA, Goforth 56, 19.346 43. Dan Tedrick, Hesperia CA, Tedrick 88, 19.550 44. Verne Sweeney, Lomita CA, Sweeney 98, No Time 45. Mathew Rossi, Phoenix AZ, Victory Lane 14A, No Time C FEATURE 1. Brian Venard, 2. Tom Downing, 3. Steve Venard. 4. Dennis Rodriguez, 5, Bob Ferro. 6, Bill Goforth, 7. Nicholas Lima. 8. Keith Williamson. 9. Dan Tedrick. 10. David Sinsley. 11. Cal Smith,
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