“The
Kruser” is Back on Top in Friday Chili
Bowl Qualifier
 Lonnie
Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (January 14, 2010)
– Cory Kruseman proved that he hasn’t
forgotten the way to victory lane at the
QuikTrip Center’s Tulsa Expo Raceway by
winning Friday night’s 25-lap E3 Spark
Plugs Qualifying main event at the 24th
Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals.
“The
Kruser” held off the challenges of Jerry
Coons, Jr., for the win, with Danny
Stratton knocking off the rust of an idle
year by battling past Chris Windom on the
final round for the third and final
lock-in position to Saturday night’s
50-lap Chili Bowl championship main event.
With
a pair of Golden Drillers on the mantle
after Chili Bowl triumphs in 2000 and
2004, it marked Kruseman’s first Tulsa
Expo Raceway win since a Friday
preliminary score in 2006.
And, after missing the main event
cut over the past three years, Kruseman
fielded his own entry to earn a ninth
career Chili Bowl main event start.
“It’s
bitter and it’s sweet at the same
time,” Kruseman explained of his
departure from Andy Bondio’s entry.
“It’s nice to know that you can
put a car together at the caliber of going
out and winning races.
But, at the same time, me and Andy
Bondio and John Martens had ten great
years here, we had a lot of fun and we did
really well together.
It was just time for me to get all
my things under one roof.”
After
earning the pole position for the main
event, Kruseman outgunned Coons for the
lead at the outset and paced the early
rounds.
As
the lead duo reeled in the tail of the
pack, at least one of the leaders was
nearly taken out for the second time in as
many nights when Johnathon Henry, Travis
Berryhill, Josh Wise and Kody Swanson
tangled in turns one and two.
“I
already tucked my head down, I was ready
to turn over,” Kruseman explained after
narrowly avoiding the scrum.
“I honestly thought I was gonna
hit ‘em with the right rear.
I saw the crash happening and saw
the cars that were involved and then one
popped out that I never saw, I don’t
know how I missed him.”
It
proved to be a critical point in the race
after Kruseman fought off Coons in the
final stages to secure the win aboard the
Kruseman Motorsports Mopar-powered Lucas
Oil/Sander Engineering No. 21k Spike.
“Like
I’ve said for all the years we’ve been
coming here, you can buy the best cars,
you can have the best driver, you can have
the best crew chief, you can have the best
parts, but if you don’t have luck then
nothing else matters.
And that’s what showed
tonight.”
Coons
kept pace and may have had his best
opportunity to pounce negated when J.J.
Yeley came to a stop in turn four with 18
laps in the books just as Kruseman was
approaching a gaggle of four cars.
Coons
made a couple of challenges over the final
laps, but settled for runner-up honors in
the Wilke Pak Motorsports Toyota-powered
Speedway Motors No. 5 Spike as he locked
into his 11th career Chili Bowl
championship main event.
“The
one big slide job that I tried, I wasn’t
really gonna try at that point,” Coons
commented.
“Maybe if I would of tried it in
the other corner instead of three and
four, but I just did what I could and ran
second.”
Making
his first start since last year’s Chili
Bowl, California native Danny Stratton
battled past Chris Windom on the final
round to snare the show position aboard
Betsy Stuebgen’s Esslinger-powered Indy
Race Parts No. 13 Spike.
“To
be here is kinda surreal, I’ve never
been in this room before,” commented the
seventh-place Chili Bowl finisher from six
years ago.
“When I did it in 2004, I came
from the ‘D’ so I had to do some work.
Now it’ll be a little easier to
concentrate on the car a little better.”
Windom
settled for fourth in the Esslinger-powered
Keith Kunz Motorsports No. 17 Bullet, with
Chad Boat rounding out the top five in
Billy Boat’s VDS-Ford Esslinger-powered
Impact/Eibach No. 30 Spike.
After
winning the first “B” Main, Mike Hess
raced from 17th to sixth, with
Levi Jones, Bobby Michnowicz, 22nd-starter
Don Droud, Jr., and Chili Bowl rookie
contender Trevor Kobylarz completing the
top ten.
Kobylarz
was one of four Chili Bowl rookies among
the feature field, with others including
Colton Heath, Alex Bowman and Kody
Swanson.
Justin
Grant, J.J. Yeley, Casey Riggs, Brad Loyet,
Stratton, Swanson, Travis Berryhill and
Michnowicz topped heat race action for
Friday night’s 64-car field, with
Kruseman, Brett Anderson, Windom and Levi
Jones winning the qualifying races.
Hunter
Schuerenberg and Joey Saldana won the twin
“C” Mains, with Hess and Loyet topping
the twin “B” Mains.
George
White, Brent Camarillo, Daniel Robinson
and Bruce Buckwalter, Jr., all flipped in
heat race action, Cole Peard, Donovan
Peterson and Austin Smith got upside down
in “C” Mains and Nick Knepper turned
over in a “B” Main.
Cleared
by his doctors at the last minute after an
injury sustained in August, J.J. Yeley
jumped into the seat of a vacant Keith
Kunz Motorsports entry.
After a heat race win, Yeley had a
tumultuous qualifier, raced in through the
“B” Main and then finished 20th
after his late stoppage.
With
four nights in the books, 256 competitors
will battle it out in Saturday’s
Rockstar Energy Drink slate of
championship events that gets under way at
12:00 p.m.
 Friday
Night’s E3 Spark Plugs Qualifier Results
from the 24th Annual Lucas Oil
Chili Bowl Nationals:
Heat
Races (Top 40 in passing points to A
Qualifiers; Balance to twin C Mains)
Heat 1: 1. #17T Justin Grant, Ione,
CA; 2. #21K Cory Kruseman, Ventura, CA; 3.
#21 Daryn Pittman, Owasso, OK; 4. #57B
Johnny Heydenreich, Indianapolis, IN; 5.
#7A Dakoda Armstrong, New Castle, IN; 6.
#56D Kevin Olson, Machesney Park, IL: 7.
#86J Josh Most, Red Oak, IA; 8. #10W
George White, Fort Worth, TX
Heat 2: 1. #67 J.J. Yeley, Phoenix,
AZ; 2. #9H Russ Harper, Indianapolis, IN;
3. #44 Don Droud Jr., Lincoln, NE; 4. #55K
Nick Knepper, Belleville, IL; 5. #4S
Hunter Schuerenberg, Sikeston, MO; 6. #58
Cole Peard, Quincy, CA; 7. #25Z Chris
Zrinski, Forked River, NJ; DNS -- #1D
Dennis Rodriguez, Camarillo, CA
Heat 3: 1. #3F Casey Riggs,
Shelbyville, IN; 2. #87JR Troy Rutherford,
Ojai, CA; 3. #2J Jackie Burke, Houston,
TX; 4. #51C Brent Camarillo, Camarillo,
CA; 5. #16B David Budres, Beloit, WI; 6.
#24T Jasiel Randolph, Tulsa, OK: 7. #25M
Derrick Myers, Stonington, IL: 8. #15 Tim
Siner, Dupo, IL
Heat 4: 1. #05 Brad Loyet, Sunset
Hills, MO; 2. #11K Brett Anderson,
Belleville, IL; 3. #49K Trevor Kobylarz,
Birdsboro, PA; 4. #51 Mike Hess,
Springfield, IL: 5. #17 Chris Windom,
Canton, IL: 6. #96 Cody Brewer, Choctaw,
OK; 7. #11XS Donovan Peterson, Brookings,
SD; 8. #11R Ryan Cole, Porter, OK
Heat 5: 1. #13 Danny Stratton,
Indianapolis, IN; 2. #55 Alex Bowman, Oro
Valley, AZ; 3. #17W Josh Wise, Riverside,
CA; 4. #8K Bud Kaeding, San Jose, CA; 5.
#88D Rusty Dukes, Fair Grove, MO; 6. #12D
Dusty Heistand, Manheim, PA; 7. #7J Clint
Todd, Lynchburg, MO; 8. #37B Daniel
Robinson, Wayne City, IL
Heat 6: 1. #19R Kody Swanson,
Kingsburg, CA; 2. #6X Dylan Peterson,
Sioux Falls, SD; 3. #9J Jason Meyers,
Clovis, CA; 4. #7JR J.D. Black, Grain
Valley, MO; 5. #87C Rich Camfield,
Decatur, IL; 6. #93X Brian Harvey, Durant,
OK; 7. #83X Bruce Buckwalter Jr.,
Royersford, PA; 8. #27D Nick Chivello,
Manteca, CA
Heat 7: 1. #35 Travis Berryhill,
American Canyon, CA; 2. #007 Cole Carter,
Brownsburg, IN; 3. #88 Johnathon Henry,
Stockton, CA; 4. #2B Levi Jones, Olney,
IL; 5. #30 Chad Boat, Phoenix, AZ; 6. #33S
Austin Smith, Chino Hills, CA; 7. #15M Mat
Neely, Robinson, IL; 8. #59 Dex Eaton,
Owasso, OK
Heat 8: 1. #49JR Bobby Michnowicz,
Torrance, CA; 2. #37 Matt Mitchell, Yorba
Linda, CA; 3. #5 Jerry Coons Jr., Tucson,
AZ; 4. #84X Colton Heath, Marysville, WA;
5. #84 Joey Fabozzi, Norco, CA; 6. #9 Joey
Saldana, Brownsburg, IN; 7. #38N Kyle
Neal, Ewing, IL; 8. #57K Bubba Altig,
Mechanicsburg, IL
C
Mains (Top 4 in each transfer to back of
corresponding B Main)
C
Main 1: 1. #4S Hunter Schuerenberg,
Sikeston, MO; 2. #96 Cody Brewer, Choctaw,
OK; 3. #37B Daniel Robinson, Wayne City,
IL; 4. #88D Rusty Dukes, Fair Grove, MO;
5. #57K Bubba Altig, Mechanicsburg, IL; 6.
#10W George White, Fort Worth, TX; 7. #25Z
Chris Zrinski, Forked River, NJ; 8. #38N
Kyle Neal, Ewing, IL; 9. #58 Cole Peard,
Quincy, CA; 10. #11XS Donovan Peterson,
Brookings, SD; 11. #27D Nick Chivello,
Manteca, CA DNS -- #83X Bruce Buckwalter
Jr., Royersford, PA
C Main 2: 1. #9 Joey Saldana,
Brownsburg, IN; 2. #86J Josh Most, Red
Oak, IA; 3. #15M Mat Neely, Robinson, IL;
4. #59 Dex Eaton, Owasso, OK: 5. #1D
Dennis Rodriguez, Camarillo, CA; 6. #25M
Derrick Myers, Stonington, IL; 7. #33S
Austin Smith, Chino Hills, CA; 8. #7J
Clint Todd, Lynchburg, MO; 9. #11R Ryan
Cole, Porter, OK; 10. #12D Dusty Heistand,
Manheim, PA; 11. #93X Brian Harvey,
Durant, OK DNS -- #15 Tim Siner, Dupo, IL
A
Qualifiers (Top 16 in combined passing
points to A Main; Balance to twin B Mains)
A Qualifier 1: 1. #21K Cory
Kruseman, Ventura, CA; 2. #30 Chad Boat,
Phoenix, AZ; 3. #13 Danny Stratton,
Indianapolis, IN; 4. #9H Russ Harper,
Indianapolis, IN; 5. #35 Travis Berryhill,
American Canyon, CA; 6. #51 Mike Hess,
Springfield, IL; 7. #2J Jackie Burke,
Houston, TX; 8. #84 Joey Fabozzi, Norco,
CA; 9. #51C Brent Camarillo, CA; 10. #8K
Bud Kaeding, San Jose, CA
A Qualifier 2: 1. #11K Brett
Anderson, Belleville, IL; 2. #55 Alex
Bowman, Oro Valley, AZ; 3. #49JR Bobby
Michnowicz, Torrance, CA; 4. #17T Justin
Grant, Ione, CA; 5. #87JR Troy Rutherford,
Ojai, CA; 6. #05 Brad Loyet, Sunset Hills,
MO; 7. #7A Dakoda Armstrong, New Castle,
IN; 8. #21 Daryn Pittman, Owasso, OK; 9.
#7JR J.D. Black, Grain Valley, MO; 10.
#57B Johnny Heydenreich, Indianapolis, IN
A Qualifier 3: 1. #17 Chris Windom,
Canton, IL; 2. #007 Cole Carter,
Brownsburg, IN; 3. #49K Trevor Kobylarz,
Birdsboro, PA; 4. #6X Dylan Peterson,
Sioux Falls, SD; 5. #17W Josh Wise,
Riverside, CA; 6. #67 J.J. Yeley, Phoenix,
AZ; 7. #9J Jason Meyers, Clovis, CA; 8.
#55K Nick Knepper, Belleville, IL; 9. #16B
David Budres, Beloit, WI; 10. #56D Kevin
Olson, Machesney Park, IL
A Qualifier 4: 1. #2B Levi Jones,
Olney, IL; 2. #5 Jerry Coons Jr., Tucson,
AZ; 3. #19R Kody Swanson, Kingsburg, CA;
4. #3F Casey Riggs, Shelbyville, IN; 5.
#84X Colton Heath, Marysville, WA; 6. #44
Don Droud Jr., Lincoln, NE; 7. #88
Jonathon Henry, Stockton, CA; 8. #24T
Jasiel Randolph, Tulsa, OK; 9. #37 Matt
Mitchell, Yorba Linda, CA; 10. #87C Rich
Camfield, Decatur, IL
B
Mains (Top 4 in each transfer to A Main)
B Main 1: 1. #51 Mike Hess,
Springfield, IL; 2. #84X Colton Heath,
Marysville, WA; 3. #17T Justin Grant, Ione,
CA; 4. #9J Jason Meyers, Clovis, CA; 5.
#7A Dakoda Armstrong, New Castle, IN; 6.
#37B Daniel Robinson, Wayne City, IL; 7.
#51C Brent Camarillo, Camarillo, CA; 8.
#4S Hunter Schuerenberg, Sikeston, MO; 9.
#87C Rich Camfield, Decatur, IL; 10. #87JR
Troy Rutherford, Ojai, CA; 11. #24T Jasiel
Randolph, Tulsa, OK; 12. #96 Cody Brewer,
Choctaw, OK; 13. #16B David Budres,
Beloit, WI; 14. #84 Joey Fabozzi, Norco,
CA; 15. #8K Bud Kaeding, San Jose, CA; 16.
#88D Rusty Dukes, Fair Grove, MO
B Main 2: 1. #05 Brad Loyet, Sunset
Hills, MO; 2. #67 J.J. Yeley, Phoenix, AZ;
3. #44 Don Droud Jr., Lincoln, NE; 4. #88
Johnathon Henry, Stockton, CA; 5. #9H Russ
Harper, Indianapolis, IN; 6. #55K Nick
Knepper, Belleville, IL; 7. #21 Daryn
Pittman, Owasso, OK; 8. #37 Matt Mitchell,
Yorba Linda, CA; 9. #57B Johnny
Heydenreich, Indianapolis, IN; 10. #15M
Mat Neely, Robinson, IL; 11. #59 Dex
Eaton, Owasso, OK; 12. #86J Josh Most, Red
Oak, IA; 13. #56D Kevin Olson, Machesney
Park, IL; 14. #7JR J.D. Black, Grain
Valley, MO; 15. #9 Joey Saldana,
Brownsburg, IN; 16. #2J Jackie Burke,
Houston, TX
A
Main (25 laps – Top 3 advance to
Saturday Night's Main Event)
1. #21K Cory Kruseman, Ventura, CA;
2. #5 Jerry Coons Jr., Tucson, AZ; 3. #13
Danny Stratton, Indianapolis, IN; 4. #17
Chris Windom, Canton, IL; 5. #30 Chad
Boat, Phoenix, AZ; 6. #51 Mike Hess,
Springfield, IL; 7. #2B Levi Jones, Olney,
IL; 8. #49JR Bobby Michnowicz, Torrance,
CA; 9. #44 Don Droud Jr., Lincoln, NE; 10.
#49K Trevor Kobylarz, Birdsboro, PA; 11.
#3F Casey Riggs, Shelbyville, IN; 12. #9J
Jason Meyers, Clovis, CA; 13. #84X Colton
Heath, Marysville, WA; 14. #05 Brad Loyet,
Sunset Hills, MO; 15. #88 Jonathon Henry,
Stockton, CA; 16. #55 Alex Bowman, Oro
Valley, AZ; 17. #17T Justin Grant, Ione,
CA; 18. #17W Jose Wise, Riverside, CA; 19.
#11K Brett Anderson, Belleville, IL; 20.
#67 J.J. Yeley, Phoenix, AZ; 21. #007 Cole
Carter, Brownsburg, IN; 22. #19R Kody
Swanson, Kingsburg, CA; 23. #6X Dylan
Peterson, Sioux Falls, SD; 24. #35 Travis
Berryhill, American Canyon, CA
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