#47 - Cory Kruseman (Ventura, CA)

7th Chili Bowl Appearance

Chili Bowl Main Event Starts: 5

Best Chili Bowl Finish: 1st (2000)

2003 Chili Bowl Results:

Friday: 1st in Heat 9; 1st in A Feature

Saturday: 13th in A Feature

After an apparent second Chili Bowl title slipped away with a faulty battery in the final rounds, Cory Kruseman went on to amass a total of 16 feature wins in 2003.

In addition to Kruseman's Chili Bowl Midget preliminary win to kick off the 2003 season, the "Kruser" also scored three Midget wins in Australia before scoring another win on home soil in BMARA action.

Kruseman posted SCRA wins at Tulare, Ventura and Perris, along with NWWC triumphs at Illinois ovals in Highland and Godfrey before putting the wraps on the season by topping the $30,000-to-win Oval Nationals at Perris (CA) Auto Speedway.  Kruseman bolstered his victory total with weekly wins at Lawrenceburg and Bloomington along with a trio of triumphs in VRA action at Ventura.

Kruseman, a perennial frontrunner at the Chili Bowl Nationals, will once again be aboard Andy Bondio's potent Barnes-powered #47 as he seeks a second Chili Bowl crown.

Car Owner:  Andy Bondio

Chassis:  Bondio

Engine:  Barnes

Sponsors:  Kwik Change, Advanced Suspension, Sander Engineering, Agromin, Kenny's Components

Photo:  Cory Kruseman topped Friday night's qualifying action at the 2003 Chili Bowl Midget Nationals.  (Photo courtesy of The Wheatley Collection)