Lonnie Wheatley, TULSA, Okla. (January 15, 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 Bryan 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 Bryan 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
