2005 Chili Bowl -
Friday, January 7
Kruseman
Captures Friday Qualifier
 Lonnie
Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (January 7, 2005)
– With a unique motorcycle tire bolted
on the left front of his racer, Cory
Kruseman moved a step closer to capturing
a third Golden Driller trophy by topping
Friday night’s 25-lap qualifying feature
for the 19th Annual O’Reilly Chili Bowl
Midget Nationals at Tulsa Expo Raceway.
The two-time and defending Chili Bowl
kingpin survived a late bid from P.J.
Jones to secure his fourth career Chili
Bowl preliminary triumph. Jones settled
for the runner-up finish, with Dave
Darland and Bobby East claiming the final
two transfer positions to Saturday
night’s 50-lap Chili Bowl championship
main event.
“Andy (Bondio) is always trying
something, my biggest benefit is I’ve
been driving that car here for seven or
eight years now and knowing Andy and the
guys that work on the car helps me.”
Kruseman commented afterward. “The only
thing we tried to do is lighten up the
nose a little bit and Taylor (Weld) helped
us a bunch there, but other than that my
car’s pretty much the same thing. The
best thing is that tire only costs $35.”
Kruseman earned the pole position for
Friday night’s feature by charging from
seventh to win the eleventh of the
evening’s dozen heat races. Gridded on
Kruseman’s outside shoulder was P.J.
Jones, who made a last lap pass of Mike
Woodruff to win the seventh heat race
after starting sixth.
Kruseman gunned into the lead at the drop
of the green flag and led Jones, East,
Brian Gerster and Craig Carey across the
line the first time around with the
caution flying moments later for Clay
Klepper, who slid to a halt with front end
damage.
Kruseman led Jones and East on the
restart, with ninth starter Steve Kinser
quickly advancing to fourth. East and
Kinser battled for position behind the
lead duo until the caution flew again
after five rounds when Matt Mitchell and
Carey tangled in turn one.
 Back
under way, the action was fast and furious
as Kruseman held off Jones for the point
while East, Kinser and tenth-starter Dave
Darland waged a torrid battle for
position. On the move, Darland was in
third by the eighth round.
Jones challenged Kruseman for the lead on
the tenth round, only to have the
“Kruser” fend off the advance.
Kruseman eventually slipped away to a
half-dozen car-length advantage as Darland
turned the heat up on Jones. Darland took
the second position from Jones on the 16th
round, only to have Jones regain the
position by the time the caution flew
after 22 rounds for a six-car tangle in
turn four.
Jones moved in on Kruseman’s rear bumper
on the restart, with Darland and East in
front of Kinser as the field readied for a
three-lap charge to the checkered flag.
Kinser wasted little time making a bid for
the fourth and final transfer to
Saturday’s championship main event, only
to spin in turn two after sliding past
East. Kinser rejoined the chase at the
tail along with Billy Wease, Justin
Allgaier and Jimmy Sills, who were
collected in the ensuing tangle.
Jones made a valiant effort for the win as
he dove underneath Kruseman in the third
turn on the 24th lap. Kruseman was up to
the task however and drove Andy Bondio’s
Barnes-powered Agromin No. 47 to the
stripe with a two car-length advantage
over Jones, who accepted second in Mike
Minarik’s Chevy-powered K&C Drywall
No. 17J TCR.
Darland held the Wilke-Pak Motorsports
Mopar-powered No. 11w Stealth in the show
position to the line, while East held off
a host of challengers for the coveted
fourth position on a frantic final lap.
Gerster rounded out the top five, with
14th-starter Jerry Coons, Jr.,
15th-starting New Zealand ace Michael
Pickens, UMARA champ David Gough,
22nd-starter Tyler Walker and 23rd-starter
Johnny Rodriguez completing the top ten.
Kinser recovered for an eleventh place
finish.
Robby Flock, East, Kinser, Darland, Mike
Hess, Coons, Jones, Pickens, Gough, Sills,
Kruseman and Mitchell topped heat race
action for Friday night’s 88-car field.
Carey Becker claimed the win in the First
“D” Main, with Darren Stewart winning
the second “D” Main. Rip Williams and
Kasey Kahne were both victorious in twin
“C” Main action, while Flock and Hess
won the “B” Mains.
Kahne found himself in “C” Main action
when his battery became dislodged after
hitting the berm in heat race action.
After coming from sixth to win the Second
“C” Main, Kahne then charged from 15th
to claim the fourth and final transfer
position to the “A” Feature with a
last lap pass in a wild Second “B”
Main. The NASCAR Nextel Cup Rookie of the
Year was an early casualty in the feature,
credited with a 23rd place finish.
Bubba the Lovesponge’s first Chili Bowl
effort ended in spectacular fashion when
he flipped violently down the front
straightaway as the green flag flew upon
the fourth heat race. Other flip victims
on the night included Allgaier, Brett
Hearn, Chris Morway, Ryan Cole, Steve
Newman, Aaron Kirk, John Sarna, Chris
Kopczynski and Ricky Johnson. There were
no injuries.
A total of 249 drivers tried their hand
over three nights of qualifying action at
the O’Reilly Chili Bowl Midget
Nationals.
 Results
for Heat races (8 laps) Friday night
(Top 16 in passing points to A; next 28 to
two B Mains; next 28 to two C Mains; rest
to two D Mains)
Heat 1: 1. #19S Robby Flock, Murrieta, CA;
2. #125 Teddy Beach, Donnelsville, OH; 3.
#27A Doug Hunting, Elk Grove, CA; 4. #51X
Ricky Johnson, Phoenix, AZ; 5. #59 Kenny
Venable, Crandall, TX; 6. #91 Cole Houser,
Cave Creek, AZ; 7. #51S Quinton Sall, San
Jose, CA; 8. #55H Matt Brooks, Tulsa, OK.
Heat 2: 1. #4B Bobby East, Brownsburg, IN;
2. #94 Brian Gerster, Noblesville, IN; 3.
#38 Jackie Burke, Houston, TX; 4. #34P
Scott Pierovich, Alamo, CA; 5. #01 Steve
Paden, Downey, CA; 6. #5J Dean Franklin,
Brownsburg, IN; 7. #11X Steve Newman,
Lakewood, CO; 8. #11Z Travis Berryhill,
American Canyon, CA.
Heat 3: 1. #67 Steve Kinser, Bloomington,
IN; 2. #30 Craig Carey, Riverton, IL; 3.
#31C Chris Rahe, Placentia, CA; 4. #10K
Ron Kuhn, Lees Summit, MO; 5. 16B Tom
Bigelow, Winchester, IN; 6. #25J Jeep Van
Wormer, Pinconning, MI: 7. #20M Carey
Becker, Reading, PA; 8. #5MA Mallory
Armfield, St. Joseph, MO.
Heat 4: 1. #11W Dave Darland, Lincoln, IN;
2. #30J Johnny Rodriguez, Elk Grove, CA;
3. #12AZ Jeff Henry, Glendale, AZ; 4. #70X
Rip Williams, Yorba Linda, CA; 5. #45
Aaron Kirk, Magnolia, TX; 6. #33F Mike
Schenker, Shelbyville, IN; 7. #20B Bubba
The Lovesponge, Tampa, FL; 8. #50D Kevin
Doty, Burlington, IA.
Heat 5: 1. #51H Mike Hess, Petersburg, IL;
2. #00 Johnny Heydenreich, Indianapolis,
IN; 3. #27 Tony Elliott, Kokomo, IN; 4.
#17T Greg Nelson, Newcastle, CA; 5. #86C
David Camfield, Jr., Decatur, IL; 6. #18A
Floyd Alvis, San Carlos, CA; 7. #27M Amy
Maris, Gilbert, AZ; 8. #5C Darren Stewart,
Bixby, OK.
Heat 6: 1. #23 Jerry Coons Jr., Tucson,
AZ; 2. #73S Clay Klepper, Brownsburg, IN;
3. #50X Chris Kopczynski, Noblesville, IN;
4. #52 Jimmy Thornell, Riverside, CA; 5.
#9 Kasey Kahne, Huntersville, NC; 6. #14P
Don Droud, Lincoln, NE; 7. #1K Seth
Wilson, San Clemente, CA.
Heat 7: 1. #17J P.J. Jones, Torrance, CA;
2. #17 Mike Woodruff, Satanta, KS; 3.
#20AZ John Sarna, Sedona, AZ; 4. #2W Jon
Windstrup, Mount Carroll, IL; 5. #36 Brad
Paris, Brownsburg, IN; 6. #15S Tim Siner,
Waterloo, IL: 7. #50 Daniel Adler,
Columbia, IL.
Heat 8: 1. #1NZ Michael Pickens, Auckland,
New Zealand; 2. #37P Alex Pruett,
Carefree, AZ; 3. #35 Mat Neely, Robinson,
IL; 4. #26 Tyler Walker, Los Angeles, CA;
5. #7C Bryan Clauson, Noblesville, IN; 6.
#15M Chris Morway, Hebron, CT. DNS - #6X
Mike Dibart, Springfield, IL.
Heat 9: 1. #82 David Gough, Machesney
Park, IL; 2. #57K Randy Koch, Oregon, WI;
3. #32 Aaron Fike, Galesburg, IL; 4. #11D
Cameron Dodson, Greenfield, IN; 5. #10D
Dan Douville, Bridgewater, NH; 6. #5W
Bryan Walters, Spread Eagle, WI; 7. #7 54
Ralph Cortez, Sacramento, CA.
Heat 10: 1. #8 Jimmy Sills, Elverta, CA;
2. #12 Billy Wease, Noblesville, IN; 3.
#86 Shane Cottle, Kokomo, IN; 4. #7F Aaron
Fiscus, Sun Prairie, WI; 5. 7T Todd McVay,
Lee’s Summit, MO; 6. #63P Paul Perkins,
Bristol, WI; 7. #20H Brett Hearn, Sussex,
NJ.
Heat 11: 1. #47 Cory Kruseman, Ventura,
CA; 2. #45H Don Hammer, Clinton, IL; 3.
#85C Matt Johnson, Oklahoma City, OK; 4.
#0 Johnny Murdock, Dallas, TX; 5. #11R
Ryan Cole, Porter, OK; 6. #5H Tom Hessert,
Cherry Hill, N.J.; 7. #1 Mike Miller,
Reading, PA.
Heat 12: 1. #37 Matt Mitchell, Yorba
Linda, CA; 2. #85A Justin Allgaier,
Riverton, IL; 3. #49 Bryan Kobylarz,
Birdsboro, PA; 4. #87 Harley Slotten,
Menasha, WI; 5. #28 Matt Brun, New
Carlisle, OH; 6. #31E Rick Eckert, York,
PA; 7. #9X Robert Marfia.
D Mains (8 Laps) - top 2 to Twin C Mains
First D Main: 1. #20M Carey Becker,
Reading, PA; 2. #11Z Travis Berryhill,
American Canyon, CA; 3. #50D Kevin Doty,
Burlington, IA; 4. #20H Brett Hearn,
Sussex, N.J.; 5. #50 Daniel Adler,
Columbia, IL; 6. #27M Amy Maris, Gilbert,
AZ; 7. #9X Robert Marfia, Rio Rancho, NM;
#11X Steve Newman, Lakewood, CO. DNS - #6X
Mike Dibart, Springfield, IL.
Second D Main: 1. #5C Darren Stewart,
Bixby, OK; 2. #1K Seth Wilson, San
Clemente, CA; 3. #51S Quinton Sall, San
Jose, CA; 4. #5H Tom Hessert, Cherry Hill,
N.J.; 5. #5MA Mallory Armfield, St.
Joseph, MO; 6. #54 Ralph Cortez,
Sacramento, CA; 7. #55H Matt Brooks,
Tulsa, OK. DNS - #20B Bubba The Lovesponge,
Tampa, FL.
C Mains (10 Laps) - top 2 to Twin B Mains
First C Main: 1. #70X Rip Williams, Yorba
Linda, CA; 2. #35P Scott Pierovich, Alamo,
CA; 3. #11Z Travis Berryhill, American
Canyon, AZ; 4. #16B Tom Bigelow,
Indianapolis, IN; 5. #20M Carey Becker,
Reading, PA; 6. #11R Ryan Cole, Porter,
OK; 7. #7F Aaron Fiscus, Sun Prairie, WI;
8. #7T Todd McVay, Lee’s Summit, MO; 9.
#7C Bryan Clauson, Noblesville, IN; 10.
#18A Floyd Alvis, San Carlos, CA; 11. #25J
Jeep Van Wormer, Pinconning, MI; 12. #86C
David Camfield, Jr., Decatur, IL; 13. #91
Cole Houser, Cave Creek, AZ; 14. #15S Tim
Siner, Waterloo, IL; 15. #5W Bryan
Walters, Spread Eagle, WI; 16. #1 Mike
Miller, Reading, PA.
Second C Main: 1. #9 Kasey Kahne,
Huntersville, NC; 2. #01 Steve Paden,
Downey, CA; 3. #31E Rick Eckert, York, PA;
4. #14P Don Droud, Lincoln, NE; 5. #36
Brad Paris, Brownsburg, IN; 6. #10D Dan
Douville, Bridgewater, NH; 7. #5C Darren
Stewart, Bixby, OK; 8. #1K Seth Wilson,
San Clemente, CA; 9. #63P Paul Perkins,
Bristol, WI; 10. #5J Dean Franklin,
Brownsburg, IN; 11. #33F Mike Schenker,
Shelbyville, IN; 12. #0 Johnny Murdock,
Dallas, TX; 13. #59 Kenny Venable,
Crandall, TX; 14. #45 Aaron Kirk,
Magnolia, TX; 15. #28 Matt Brun, New
Carlisle, OH. DNS - #15M Chris Morway,
Hebron, CT.
B Mains (12 Laps) - top 4 to A Main
First B Main: 1. #19S Robby Flock,
Murrieta, CA; 2. #8 Jimmy Sills, Elverta,
CA; 3. #73S Clay Klepper, Brownsburg, IN;
4. #30J Johnny Rodriguez, Elk Grove, CA;
5. #125 Teddy Beach, Donnelsville, OH; 6.
#27A Doug Hunting, Elk Grove, CA; 7. #70X
Rip Williams, Yorba Linda, CA; 8. #11D
Cameron Dodson, Greenfield, IN: 9. #35P
Scott Pierovich, Alamo, CA; 10. #20AZ John
Sarna, Sedona, AZ; 11. #27 Tony Elliott,
Kokomo, IN; 12. #38 Jackie Burke, Houston,
TX; 13. #49 Bryan Kobylarz, Birdsboro, PA;
14. #17 Mike Woodruff, Satanta, KS; 15.
#85C Matt Johnson, Oklahoma City, OK; 16.
#2W Jon Windstrup, Mount Carroll, IL.
Second B Main: 1. #51H Mike Hess,
Petersburg, IL; 2. #01 Steve Paden,
Downey, CA; 3. #26 Tyler Walker, Los
Angeles, CA; 4. #9 Kasey Kahne,
Huntersville, NC; 5. #52 Jimmy Thornell,
Riverside, CA; 6. #87 Harley Slotten,
Menasha, WI; 7. #17T Greg Nelson,
Newcastle, CA; 8. #45H Don Hammer,
Clinton, IL; 9. #31C Chris Rahe,
Placentia, CA; 10. #51X Ricky Johnson,
Phoenix, AZ; 11. #35 Mat Neely, Robinson,
IL; 12. #10K Ron Kuhn, Lee’s Summit, MO;
13. #00 Johnny Heydenreich, Indianapolis,
IN; 14. #32 Aaron Fike, Galesburg, IL; 15.
#86 Shane Cottle, Kokomo, IN; 16. #50X
Chris Kopczynski, Noblesville, IN.
A Main (25 Laps) - top 4 transfer to
Saturday A feature; others to Saturday B
& C features
A Main: 1. #47 Cory Kruseman, Ventura, CA;
2. #17J P.J. Jones, Torrance, CA; 3. #11W
Dave Darland, Lincoln, IN; 4. #4B Bobby
East, Brownsburg, IN; 5. #94 Brian Gerster,
Noblesville, IN; 6. #23 Jerry Coons Jr.,
Tucson, AZ; 7. #1NZ Michael Pickens,
Auckland, NZ; 8. #82 David Gough,
Machesney Park, IL; 9. #26 Tyler Walker,
Los Angeles, CA; 10. #30J Johnny
Rodriguez, Elk Grove, CA; 11. #67 Steve
Kinser, Bloomington, IN; 12. #01 Steve
Paden, Downey, CA; 13. #57K Randy Koch,
Oregon, WI; 14. #12AZ Jeff Henry,
Glendale, AZ; 15. #12 Billy Wease,
Noblesville, IN; 16. #37 Matt Mitchell,
Yorba Linda, CA; 17. #85A Justin Allgaier,
Springfield, IL; 18. #8 Jimmy Sills,
Elverta, CA; 19. #37P Alex Pruett,
Carefree, AZ; 20. #30 Craig Carey,
Riverton, IL; 21. #19S Robby Flock,
Murrieta, CA; 22. #51H Mike Hess,
Petersburg, IL; 23. #9 Kasey Kahne,
Huntersville, NC; 24. #73S Clay Klepper,
Brownsburg, IN.
|
