Ray
is in the Green in Chili Bowl Nationals Creek Nation Casino Qualifier
TULSA, Okla. (January 10, 2007) – It was a pair of Badgers atop Wednesday
night's Creek Nation Casino Qualifying event at Tulsa Expo Raceway's 21st
Annual O'Reilly Chili Bowl Midget Nationals, with Davey Ray cashing in the
biggest stack of chips after outdueling Brad Kuhn in the 25-lap "A" Main
event.
Ray, a former Badger Midget Auto Racing Association (BMARA), and reigning
BMARA king Kuhn diced in such heated fashion over the middle portion of
the race that third-generation teenage shoe Donnie Ray Crawford snuck into
the mix and nearly posted a monumental upset in his Midget racing debut.
But
in the end, it was Ray slipping away after the race's final caution with
five laps to go to snare the win in front of Kuhn, with Casey Shuman
making a late move around Crawford to claim the show position. Moving up
from the Micro ranks, Crawford netted the fourth and final lock-in
position to Saturday night's 50-lap Chili Bowl championship main event.
Of
the epic mid-race slide job battle with Kuhn, Ray commented, "It's fun
when you can race with a guy that you know is not aiming to take you out.
Yeah, we rubbed there a little bit but that's pretty hard racing so I know
nothing's intentional between Brad and I. It's fun and it comes down to
getting hairy like that."
While Ray took the limelight in the finale, 2006 National Midget Driver of
the Year Kuhn was without question the star of the evening much of the
way. Kuhn charged from eighth to finish second in his heat race, ranking
number one in passing points among 69 entries after heat race action.
Kuhn backed it up in his qualifying race, advancing from sixth to take the
win and put the clamps on the pole position for the feature in the
process.
But
Ray was nearly matching him step for step. Ray raced from fifth to win
his heat race, then picked off four more positions by advancing from sixth
to second in his qualifier to earn the front row outside starting slot for
the feature.
Ray
broke into the feature lead at the drop of Roger Slack's green flag and
paced the early rounds in front of Kuhn, Thomas Meseraull, Shuman and
Danny Lasoski. Ray and Kuhn slipped away from the rest of the field and
were encountering lapped traffic when the race's first caution flew after
eleven laps for Turkey Night winner Billy Wease's turn four spin.
Following a tangle involving Damion Gardner and Mike Hess two laps later,
the battle for the point intensified as Kuhn executed a bold slide job
entering turn one to take command. Ray rallied right back, recapturing
the lead with a similar slide a lap later.
Kuhn tried to return the favor a half lap later and got crossed up,
allowing a low riding Crawford to race by and suddenly enter the mix for
the win. Crawford had cracked the top five by disposing of Lasoski
moments after the lap eleven interruption. The young gun had then climbed
to fourth by the time the Gardner-Hess tangle occurred.
With Ray riding the rim and Crawford on the low side, the young gun began
challenging Ray for the lead when his pace was interrupted by a lap 18
stoppage for Russ Harper, who came to a stop in turn one.
With Ray leading the way, Kuhn battled past Crawford to reclaim second
before the final caution appeared for Evan Sewell's turn one trouble with
just five laps remaining.
Ray
raced the cushion to perfection over the final laps to secure the win,
popping a crowd-pleasing wheelie as he took the checkered flag in the
Mecum Racing Chevy-powered No. 33x Mecum Auctions/DMI No. 33x Spike.
Kuhn, who raced from 15th to fourth in last year's Chili Bowl
championship feature event, settled for second aboard Dr. Kenneth Love's
Stanton Mopar-powered No. 71x Spike.
"I
kinda felt bad for the guys, I thought we had a better car and I plowed
into the cushion and bent the Jacobs ladder pretty bad," Kuhn explained
afterward. "We were just kinda hangin' on and tried to make a go at Davey
there, but he's a class act and I just got outdrove, almost spun out
trying to get back by him. We'll just take our second and move on and try
to get that trophy on Saturday."
Shuman's late move aboard the Thornell Racing Sesco Mopar-powered No. 52s
James Development General Contractors Stealth netted third.
Of
his last gasp pass of Crawford, Shuman explained that, "I was really just
trying to be a little more aggressive on the cushion to make sure I didn't
get passed by somebody on the bottom. I'm tickled to death with third,
but fourth would have had us locked us in. I was more trying to protect
my position and it worked out, we got it at the end.
Crawford opened the racing world's eyes with his fourth place finish in
the Keith Kunz Motorsports Fontana-powered No. 71k John Christner Trucking
Bullet.
Joe
Boyles made an impressive charge through the field by racing from 15th
to round out the top five, with 13th-starter Jon Stanbrough,
Meseraull, USAC Midget champion Jerry Coons, Jr., Matt Westfall and
Lasoski completing the top ten.
Heat races were topped by Sammy Swindell, Ray, Don Droud, Jr., Brady
Bacon, Gardner, Johnny Rodriguez, Boyles, Chris Rahe and Coons. Mike
Hess, Nick Knepper, Brian Ramstack and Cody Brewer won the 8-lap Last
Chance races, with Kuhn, Shuman, Meseraull and Lasoski victorious in the
10-lap Qualifying races.
Swindell wired the field in the first 15-lap "B" Main, with Levi Jones
emerging a top a dicey second "B" Main. Swindell, a four-time Chili Bowl
champion, was 20th in the main event with Jones climbing to 14th.
A
total of 110 green flag laps were completed before the night's first flip
occurred when New York's Jessica Zemken got upside down in turn four
during the first Qualifying race. Other Qualifying Race flippers included
Jones, Rick Hendrix and Randy Hannagan, with Rodriguez toppling in the
first "B" Main. There were no injuries.
The
21st Annual O'Reilly Chili Bowl Midget Nationals continues with
Thursday night's Bass Pro Shops Qualifying event, with heat races slated
to go green at 6:15 p.m.
Wednesday Night's 21st Annual Chili Bowl Nationals Creek Nation
Casino Qualifier Results:
Heat Races (8 Laps - Top 40 in passing points to four A Qualifiers;
Balance to four Last Chance races)
Heat 1:
1. #1 Sammy Swindell, Germantown, Tenn.; 2. #71X Brad Kuhn, Avon, Ind.; 3.
#71P Cruz Pedregon, Brownsburg, Ind.; 4. #22E Evan Sewell, Jenks, Okla.;
5. #91K Kevin Bayer, Broken Arrow, Okla.; 6. #39X Randy Hannagan,
Pittsboro, Ind.; 7. #1C Chad McDaniel, Concordia, Kan.; 8. 33M John Wolfe,
Winchester, Ind.
Heat 2:
1. #33X Davey Ray, Love’s Park, Ill.; 2. #12W Billy Wease, Noblesville,
Ind.; 3. #21A Jon Stanbrough, Brownsburg, Ind.; 4. #95K Rik Forbes, Omaha,
Neb.; 5. #31 Donnie Lehmann, Springfield, Ill.; 6. #96 Cody Brewer,
Choctaw, Okla.; 7. #F1 French Grimes, Madison, Va. DNS - #16 Tom Bigelow,
Winchester, Ind.
Heat 3:
1. #44D Don Droud Jr., Lincoln, Neb.; 2. #71K Donnie Ray Crawford, Broken
Arrow, Okla.; 3. #20J Levi Jones, Olney, Ill.; 4. #91 Bugs Norbury,
Prescott Valley, Ariz.; 5. #22T Mike Woodruff, Satanta, Kan.; 6. #20C
Carey Becker, Reading, Pa.; 7. #2K Kyle Wissmiller, Saybrook, Ill.; 8.
#85J Matt Johnson, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Heat 4:
1. #99 Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, Okla.; 2. #5L Danny Lasoski,
Higginsville, Mo.; 3. #14 Matt Westfall, Ludlow Falls, Ohio; 4. #12H Rick
Hendrix, Canoga Park, Calif.; 5. #25K Nick Knepper, Belleville, Ill.; 6.
#33A Stephen Arnold, Seymour, Ind.; 7. #1M Mike Miller, Reading, Pa.; 8.
#15N David Prickett, Fresno, Calif.
Heat 5:
1. #67 Damion Gardner, Concord, Calif.; 2. #9H Russ Harper, Watkins,
Colo.; 3. #5C Joey Montgomery, Fredericktown, Mo.; 4. #17T Thomas
Meseraull, Avon, Ind.; 5. #02R Brian Ramstack, West Bend, Wis.; 6. #19W
Troy Rutherford, Ojai, Calif.; 7. #74 Ernie Bartley III, El Cajon, Calif.;
8. #5AZ Shon Deskins, Waddell, Ariz.
Heat 6:
1. #7R Johnny Rodriguez, Elk Grove, Calif.; 2. #F4 Jessica Zemken,
Sprakers, N.Y.; 3. #8E Tony Elliott, Warsaw, Ind.; 4. #125 Teddy Beach,
Donnelsville, Ohio; 5. #18 Tony Bruce Jr., Liberal, Kan.; 6. #57 Brian
Gard, Clovis, Calif.; 7. #31T Tony Roney, Herculaneum, Mo. DNS - #83 Kurt
Blackaby
Heat 7:
1. #7B Joe Boyles, Greenwood, Mo.; 2. #69 Darren Hagen, Riverside, Calif.;
3. #21M Andy Martin, Gordonville, Pa.; 4. #51J R.J. Johnson, Phoenix,
Ariz.; 5. #07 Shannon McQueen, Bakersfield, Calif.; 6. #5T Randy Timms,
Oklahoma City, Okla.; 7. #24H Brent Beauchamp, Fairland, Ind.
Heat 8:
1. #3C Chris Rahe, Placentia, Calif.; 2. #52S Casey Shuman, Indianapolis,
Ind.; 3. #2M Frank Polimeda, Fort Lee, N.J.; 4. #1W Paul White, Temple,
Texas; 5. #27B Neil Shepherd, Warsaw, Ind.; 6. #51 Mike Hess, Riverton,
Ill.; 7. #19N Nick O’Neal, Wagoner, Okla.
Heat 9:
1. #11 Jerry Coons Jr., Tucson, Ariz.; 2. #37M Rip Williams, Yorba Linda,
Calif.; 3. #85X Matt Covington, Glenpool, Okla.; 4. #2 Danny Stratton,
Riverside, Calif.; 5. #13 Jason Sides, Bartlett, Tenn.; 6. #73E Foster
Landon, Collinsville, Okla.; 7. #18G Rickie Gaunt, Torrance, Calif.
Last Chance Races (Top 2 in each transfer to back of corresponding A
Qualifier)
Last Chance 1:
1. #51 Mike Hess, Riverton, Ill.; 2. #31 Donnie Lehmann, Springfield,
Ill.; 3. #07 Shannon McQueen, Bakersfield, Calif.; 4. #20C Carey Becker,
Reading, Pa.; 5. #85J Matt Johnson, Oklahoma City, Okla.; 6. #F1 French
Grimes, Madison, Va. DNS - #24H Brent Beauchamp, Fairland, Ind.; #83 Kurt
Blackaby, Bentonville, Ark.
Last Chance 2:
1. #25K Nick Knepper, Belleville, Ill.; 2. #73E Foster Landon,
Collinsville, Okla.; 3. #33A Stephen Arnold, Seymour, Ind.; 4. #15N David
Prickett, Fresno, Calif.; 5. #2K Kyle Wissmiller, Saybrook, Ill.; 6. #19N
Nick O’Neal, Wagoner, Okla.; 7. #19W Troy Rutherford, Ojai, Calif. Note -
Rutherford was penalized to the end of the field after passing before the
cone on a restart
Last Chance 3:
1. #02R Brian Ramstack, West Bend, Wis.; 2. #39X Randy Hannagan,
Pittsboro, Ind.; 3. #18G Rickie Gaunt, Torrance, Calif.; 4. #57 Brian Gard,
Clovis, Calif.; 5. #1M Mike Miller, Reading, Pa.; 6. #5AZ Shon Deskins,
Waddell, Ariz.; 7. #74 Ernie Bartley III, El Cajon, Calif.
Last Chance 4:
1. #96 Cody Brewer, Choctaw, Okla.; 2. #1T Tony Roney, Herculaneum, Mo.;
3. #18 Tony Bruce Jr., Liberal, Kan; 4. #5T Randy Timms, Oklahoma City,
Okla.; 5. #3M John Wolfe, Winchester, Ind.; 6. #16 Tom Bigelow,
Winchester, Ind.; 7. #1C Chad McDaniel, Concordia, Kan.
A
Qualifiers (Top 16 in combined passing points to A Main; Balance to twin B
Mains)
A Qualifier 1:
1. #71X Brad Kuhn, Avon, Ind.; 2. #51 Mike Hess, Riverton, Ill.; 3. #71K
Donnie Ray Crawford, Broken Arrow, Okla.; 4. #21A Jon Stanbrough,
Brownsburg, Ind.; 5. #21M Andy Martin, Gordonville, Pa.; 6. #9H Russ
Harper, Watkins, Colo.; 7. #2 Danny Stratton, Riverside, Calif.; 8. #5C
Joey Montgomery, Fredericktown, Mo.; 9. #31 Donnie Lehmann, Springfield,
Ill.; 10. #85X Matt Covington, Glenpool, Okla.; 11. #95K Rik Forbes,
Omaha, Neb.; 12. #F4 Jessica Zemken, Sprakers, N.Y.
A Qualifier 2:
1. #52S Casey Shuman, Indianapolis, Ind.; 2. #33X Davey Ray, Love’s Park,
Ill.; 3. #37M Rip Williams, Yorba Linda, Calf.; 4. #7B Joe Boyles,
Greenwood, Mo.; 5. #25K Nick Knepper, Belleville, Ill.; 6. #125 Teddy
Beach, Donnelsville, Ohio; 7. #73E Foster Landon, Collinsville, Okla.; 8.
#22T Mike Woodruff, Satanta, Kan.; 9. #44D Don Droud Jr., Lincoln, Neb.;
10. #91 Bugs Norbury, Prescott Valley, Ariz.; 11. #99 Brady Bacon, Broken
Arrow, Okla.; 12. #27B Neil Shepherd, Warsaw, Ind.
A Qualifier 3:
1. #17T Thomas Meseraull, Avon, Ind.; 2. #22E Evan Sewell, Jenks, Okla.;
3. #3C Chris Rahe, Placentia, Calif.; 4. #12W Billy Wease, Noblesville,
Ind.; 5. #02R Brian Ramstack, West Bend, Wis.; 6. #13 Jason Sides,
Bartlett, Tenn.; 7. #20J Levi Jones, Olney, Ill.; 8. #39X Randy Hannagan,
Pittsboro, Ind.; 9. #71P Cruz Pedregon, Brownsburg, Ind.; 10. #69 Darren
Hagen, Riverside, Calif.; 11. #12H Rick Hendrix, Canoga Park, Calif.; 12.
#7R Johnny Rodriguez, Elk Grove, Calif.
A Qualifier 4:
1. #5L Danny Lasoski, Higginsville, Mo.; 2. #14 Matt Westfall, Ludlow
Falls, Ohio; 3. #67 Damion Gardner, Concord, Calif.; 4. #11 Jerry Coons
Jr., Tucson, Ariz.; 5. #8E Tony Elliott, Warsaw, Ind.; 6. #91K Kevin
Bayer, Broken Arrow, Okla.; 7. #1 Sammy Swindell, Germantown, Tenn.; 8.
#1T Tony Roney, Herculaneum, Mo.; 9. 396 Cody Brewer, Choctaw, Okla.; 10.
#2M Frank Polimeda, Fort Lee, N.J.; 11. #51J R.J. Johnson, Phoenix, Ariz.;
12. #1W Paul White, Temple, Texas
B
Mains (Top 4 advance to A Main)
B Main 1:
1. #1 Sammy Swindell, Germantown, Tenn.; 2. #44D Don Droud Jr., Lincoln,
Neb.; 3. #2 Danny Stratton, Riverside, Calif.; 4. #99 Brady Bacon, Broken
Arrow, Okla.; 5. #25K Nick Knepper, Belleville, Ill.; 6. #13 Jason Sides,
Bartlett, Tenn.; 7. #2M Frank Polimeda, Fort Lee, N.J.; 8. #12H Rick
Hendrix, Canoga Park, Calif.; 9. #96 Cody Brewer, Choctaw, Okla.; 10. #73E
Foster Landon, Collinsville, Okla.; 11. F4 Jessica Zemken, Sprakers, N.Y.;
12. #71P Cruz Pedregon, Brownsburg, Ind.; 13. #125 Teddy Beach,
Donnelsville, Ohio; 14. #7R Johnny Rodriguez, Elk Grove, Calif.; 15. #21M
Andy Martin, Gordonville, Pa. DNS - #1W Paul White, Temple, Texas
B Main 2:
1.
#20J Levi Jones, Olney, Ill.; 2. #5C Joey Montgomery, Fredericktown, Mo.;
3. #31 Donnie Lehmann, Springfield, Ill.; 4. #9H Russ Harper, Watkins,
Colo.; 5. #8E Tony Elliott, Warsaw, Ind.; 6. #39X Randy Hannagan,
Pittsboro, Ind.; 7. #85X Matt Covington, Glenpool, Okla.; 8. #1T Tony
Roney, Herculaneum, Mo.; 9. #95K Rik Forbes, Omaha, Neb.; 10. #02R Brian
Ramstack, West Bend, Wis.; 11. #27B Neil Shepherd, Warsaw, Ind.; 12. #91
Bugs Norbury, Prescott Valley, Ariz.; 13. #91K Kevin Bayer, Broken Arrow,
Okla.; 14. #69 Darren Hagen, Riverside, Calif.; 15. #22T Mike Woodruff,
Satanta, Kan.; 16. #51J R.J. Johnson, Phoenix, Ariz.
Creek Nation Casino Qualifying Night "A" Main (25 laps - Top 4 Advance to
Saturday Night’s Main Event)
1.
#33X Davey Ray, Love’s Park, Ill.; 2. #71X Brad Kuhn, Avon, Ind.; 3. #52S
Casey Shuman, Indianapolis, Ind.; 4. #71K Donnie Ray Crawford, Broken
Arrow, Okla.; 5. #7B Joe Boyles, Greenwood, Mo.; 6. #21A Jon Stanbrough,
Brownsburg, Ind.; 7. #17T Thomas Meseraull, Avon, Ind.; 8. #11 Jerry Coons
Jr., Tucson, Ariz.; 9. #14 Matt Westfall, Ludlow Falls, Ohio; 10. #5L
Danny Lasoski, Higginsville, Mo.; 11. #31 Donnie Lehmann, Springfield,
Ill.; 12. #2 Danny Stratton, Riverside, Calif.; 13. #44D Don Droud Jr.,
Lincoln, Neb.; 14. #20J Levi Jones, Olney, Ill.; 15. #51 Mike Hess,
Riverton, Ill.; 16. #99 Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, Okla.; 17. #37M Rip
Williams, Yorba Linda, Calif.; 18. #12W Billy Wease, Noblesville, Ind.;
19. #9H Russ Harper, Watkins, Colo.; 20. #1 Sammy Swindell, Germantown,
Tenn.; 21. #5C Joey Montgomery, Fredericktown, Mo.; 22. #22E Evan Sewell,
Jenks, Okla.; 23. #67 Damion Gardner, Concord, Calif. DNS - #3C Chris Rahe,
Placentia, Calif.
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