Editor's Note: I would like to send my thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of Donnie Ray Crawford. Donnie Ray, you will forever be missed, and will always be a Hero and an angel watching over the erst of your racing family. God Speed Donnie Ray!
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By Robert Haugh
With nearly 260 total competitors, including the best
Midget racers from throughout the U.S. and beyond, with a myriad of racing
stars from an array of series including three-time and reigning NASCAR Sprint
Cup champion Tony Stewart and reigning
NASCAR Nationwide series champion Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., it’s not surprising over 80 drivers and teams from
the West Coast made the cross-country trek, all gunning at capturing the
coveted Golden Driller trophy awarded on Saturday, January 14th in
Tulsa, Oklahoma at the 26th Annual Chili Bowl Midget Nationals.
An array of West Coast Midget champions, feature winners,
veterans, young guns and car owners, including champions and winners
representing USAC-Western States, BCRA, WMRA, RMMRA, NWWT and NOMA Midgets, all
competing over five nights of racing.
Though representing less than one-third of the total
entries, West Coasters compiled 11 of the 24 total A-Main starters, including
seven of the Top 10 positions. Despite the large West Coast representation, no
one was able to fend off Tennessee’s father-and-son duo Kevin and Sammy
Swindell. Kevin, the reigning two-time champion, became the first
back-to-back-to-back winner in the history of the race, which is often dubbed
the Super Bowl of Midget racing. Kevin’s father Sammy, a five-time Chili Bowl
winner came home second.
Of the West Coast entries, Kyle Larson (Elk Grove, CA) garnered a podium finish, coming
home third in Keith Kunz Motorsports #67 Bullet/Speedway Toyota, with Danny
Stratton (Riverside, CA) aboard Steve and
Diana Hampton’s #77S Twister/Esslinger taking fourth, West Coast transplant Bryan
Clauson (currently residing in
Noblesville, IN) in the CTR-Curb #39C NOS Energy Drink-Curb Records
Spike/Esslinger claiming fifth, Grass Valley, CA native Brad Sweet taking sixth in the Kasey Kahne Racing #49X Sage
Fruit-Great Clips Spike/Speedway Toyota, with two-time Chili Bowl winner (2002,
2004) and 2011 USAC-Western States Midget and VRA Midget champion Cory
Kruseman of Ventura, CA taking seventh
aboard the Kruseman Motorsports #21k Lucas Oil Spike/Esslinger. Multiple-time
open wheel champion Jerry Coons, Jr. (Tuscon, AZ) was the hard charger, moving from 23rd to 8th
after transferring from a B-Main in Danny Lendich’s #3NZ Wendy’s
Spike/Esslinger.
Darren Hagen
(Riverside, CA) claimed 12th in the #3 RFMS Racing Spike/Esslinger
after transferring from B-Main 2. Multiple-time Silver Crown and Sprint Car
champion Bud Kaeding (Campbell,
CA) finished 19th after bringing out a caution after spinning on Lap
14 in the Buster & Ziggy Ent. #2 Bullet/Esslinger. Casey Shuman (Rattlesnake Bend, AZ) claimed 17th in
Hans Lein’s #2H Lein Acres-Midstate Equipment-Blue River Ag Spike/Esslinger.
2011 USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car champion Richard
VanderWeerd (Visalia, CA) claimed the 2012
Chili Bowl Rookie-of-the-Year award in Mike Sala’s #19W Spike/Sala Chevy after
placing 20th in the A-Main after transferring by winning B-Main 1.
Rico Abreu
(Rutherford, CA), who transferred by winning B-Main 2 finished 21st
in the Keith Kunz Motorsports #67K Bullet/Toyota.
Other West Coast racers having made it to the twin B-Mains
included Brian Camarillo (Camarillo,
CA) in the Bill Camarillo #22 Spike/Fontana, Josh Ford (Oxnard, CA) in Keith Ford’s #73 Spike/Bob Wirth,
New Zealand’s Shaun Insley in
Andy Bondio’s #47 Bondio/Barnes Chevy and Ronnie Gardner (Corona, CA) in the #71S Keith Ford
Spike/Esslinger.
West Coast racers winning races in the alphabet soup
at the QuikTrip Center’s 1/5-mile Tulsa Expo
Raceway were: Mike Spencer (Temecula,
CA), J-Main 2; Michelle Decker
(Guthrie, OK in McQueen Racign entry) G-Main 2; Brad Mosen (Auckland, New Zealand, Andy Bondio entry) D-Main 1; Richard
VanderWeerd, B-Main 1 and Rico Abreu, B-Main 2.
West Coast racers impressing fans by running the alphabet
soup included 2009 USAC-Western States Midget champion Alex Schutte (Rohnert Park, CA) who began his alphabet soup run
in H-Main 2 and transferred to the back of G-Main 2, F-Main 2 and E-Main 2
before his run came to an end in Calvin Martens’ #28 Woodworks Unlimited-Ryno
Mfg.-Jim’s Towing-Aircraft Electrical Components-Ontario West TCR/Mopar.
Chili Bowl rookie Jake Swanson, of Anaheim, CA, who’s Chili Bowl appearance was
nearly halted just a month before the event, rallied from a disappointing
Friday qualifying night and crash that saw him suffer a concussion to an
alphabet soup run that saw him start in the K-Main and advance first to J-Main
1 then to I-Main 1 where he came one spot shy of transferring to H-Main 1 in
the Swanson Motorsports #05H Goodwine Glass-Lucas Oil-Crowe Performance-PHB
Indy-Orange County Tank Testing Stealth/Honda.
The 50-lap A-Main was extended to 55 laps as a tribute to popular Broken Arrow, Oklahoma racer Donnie Ray Crawford who lost his life early Saturday morning in a tragic accident away from the track. The capacity crowd of 17,000+ was in a pall Saturday, mourning the loss of the extremely popular and talented racer. As many know, Donnie Ray Crawford was the hero who rescued Harli White from her burning race car several years ago. Harli was driving one three McQueen Racing #7 Spike/Esslinger entries. In honor of Crawford, Harli ran Crawford’s nameplate on the McQueen Racing #7W on Saturday evening.
Local news story on the tragic event: http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story/Crawford-family-and-friends-react-to-local-racers/TE2sqj6TAkqwggvJF_NfxQ.cspx
West Coast Results from
the 26th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals:
A Main: 3. Lyle Larson, Elk
Grove, CA; 4. Danny Stratton, Riverside, CA; 5. Bryan Clauson, Noblesville, IN
(CA transplant); 6. Brad Sweet, Grass Valley, CA; 7. Cory Kruseman, Ventura,
CA; 8. Jerry Coons, Jr., Phoenix, AZ; 12. Darren Hagen, Riverside, CA; 17.
Casey Shuman, Rattlesnake Bend, AZ; 19. Bud Kaeding, Campbell, CA; 20. Richard
VanderWeerd, Visalia, CA; 21. Rico Abreu, Rutherford, CA
B Main 1: 1. VanderWeerd;
5. Kaeding; 6. Coons Jr.; 10. Chad Boat, Phoenix, AZ; 12. Josh Ford, Oxnard,
CA; 16. Brian Camarillo, Camarillo, CA
B Main 2: 1. Abreu; 2.
Shuman, Rattlesnake Bend, AZ; 4. Hagen; 8. Gary Taylor, Snohomish, WA; 9. Levi
Roberts, Broomfield, CO; 15. Shaun Insley (Andy Bondo entry) Royal Oak, NZ; 16.
R.J. Johnson, Phoenix, AZ; 17. Ronnie Gardner, Corona, CA
C Main 1: 3. Chad Boat;
7. #35 Justin Grant, Ione, CA; 10. #1J JJ Yeley, Phoenix, AZ; 11. #98K P.J.
Jones, Torrance, CA; 14. #8V Jace VanderWeerd, Visalia, CA; 15. #88H Johnathon
Henry, Stockton, CA; 18. #47 Brad Mosen, Auckland, NZ; 19. #05R Ryan Pace,
Brownsburg
C Main 2: 2. R.J.
Johnson; 3. Gary Taylor; 4. Levi Roberts; 8. Jason Leffler, Long Beach, CA: 10.
Damion Gardner, Concord, CA; 15. Ryan Bernal, Hollister, CA; 17. Shane Golobic,
Fremont, CA; 19. Markus Niemela, Rauma, Finland
D Main 1: 1. #47 Brad
Mosen, Auckland, NZ; 2. #98K P.J. Jones, Torrance, CA; 3. #88H Johnathon Henry,
Stockton, CA; 6. #1J J.J. Yeley, Phoenix, AZ; 16. #14JR Matt Streeter, Galt, CA
D Main 2: 2. #72 Ryan
Bernal, Hollister, CA; 4. #26 Shane Golobic, Fremont, CA; 8. #2T Thomas
Meseraull, San Jose, CA; 10. #15P David Prickett, Fresno, CA; 16. #86E Chris
Ennis, San Diego, CA
E Main 1: 11. #191 Chase
Barber, Brownsburg, IN
E Main 2: 5. #2B Tyler
Reddick, Coming, CA; 8. #7 Shannon McQueen, Tehachapi, CA; 9. #51 Brent
Camarillo, Camarillo, CA; 16. #28 Alex Schutte, Rohnert Park, CA
F Main 1: 4. #191 Chase
Barber, Brownsburg, IN; 15. #11B Travis Berryhill, American Canyon, CA
F Main 2: 2. #2B Tyler
Reddick, Corning, CA; 4. #28 Alex Schutte, Rohnert Park, CA; 5. #51X Matt
Lundy, Phoenix, AZ; 10. #58 Cole Peard, Quincy, CA; 11. #00 Pete Davis,
Pleasanton, CA; 13. #18 Floyd Alvis, San Carlos, CA; 14. #49JR Bobby
Michnowicz, Lomita, CA; 15. #7D Michelle Decker, Guthrie, OK
G Main 1: 7. #15N T.J.
Smith, Fresno, CA; 8. #17K Tanner Berryhill, Bixby, OK; 9. #7W Harli White,
Lindsay, OK; 10. #2X Tyler Millwood, Kingston, CA; 13. #12JR Josh Pelkey,
Peoria, AZ; 14. #77B Mike Boesel, Bennett, CO
G Main 2: 1. #7D Michelle
Decker, Guthrie, OK; 2. #28 Alex Schutte, Rohnert Park, CA; 3. #49JR Bobby
Michnowicz, Lomita, CA; 8. #0G Greg Bragg, Visalia, CA; 11. #27C Kip Hughes,
Enid, Ok; 14. #8B Bob Ream Jr., Glendale, AZ
H Main 1: 2. #2X Tyler
Millwood, Kingston, CA; 3. #15N T.J. Smith, Fresno, CA; 4. #17K Tanner
Berryhill, Bixby, OK; 5. #82W Robbie Whitchurch, Chico, CA; 6. #21V Jimmy
Voitel, Covina, CA; 11. #17W Cole Wood, Auburn, CA; 12. #9D Sean Dodenhoff,
Bakersfield, CA;
H Main 2: 3. #28 Alex
Schutte, Rohnert Park, CA; 9. #73F Greg Edenholm, Malibu, CA; 14. #44S Clint
Schubert, Calhan, CO
I Main 1: 4. #17K Tanner
Berryhill, Bixby, OK; 5. #05H Jake Swanson, Anaheim, CA; 12. #2AZ Rick Shuman,
Gilbert, AZ; DNS - #15K Connor Kassik, Lake Havasu, AZ
I Main 2: 4. #73F Greg
Edenholm, Malibu, CA; 6. #9H Matt Hummel, San Jose, CA; 7. #9B Harris Brooks,
Houston, TX;, IL; 9. #51S Mike Spencer, Temecula, CA
J Main 1: 2. #17K Tanner
Berryhill, Bixby, OK; 4. #05H Jake Swanson, Anaheim, CA; 9. #55 Kyle Smith,
Moorpark, CA; 11. #8 Mike Lapp, Goodyear, AZ; 12. #27 Kody Swanson, Kingsburg,
CA; DNS #21JR Kevin Michnowicz, Lomita, CA
J Main 2: 1. #51S Mike
Spencer, Temecula, CA; 5. #2G Terry Goodwin, Laveen, AZ; 6. #88W Dustin Weland,
Parker, CO; 7. #77D Dalten Gabbard, Peoria, AZ; 9. #67X Britton Bock, Angwin,
CA; 13. #35W Rick Wright, Ponca City, OK
K Main: 5. #05H Jake
Swanson, Anaheim, CA; 10. #71P Tim Pyle, Gresham, OR; 12. #83X Bob Lawlor, San
Carlos, CA; DNS -- #21AZ Mike Visser, Cottonwood, AZ; #11XC Steve Newman, Steamboat
Springs, CO; #6Y Vinny Villeggiante, Gresham, OR
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