Perris, California…(July 12, 2003) Mike Kirby entered the 2003 NAPA Auto Parts / Auto Trader Magazines SCRA season without a full-time ride. Until Saturday's wire-to-wire 30-lap win at the Perris Auto Speedway, Kirby's streak as the only driver on the tour to have scored at least one win in a 410 sprint car every year since 1991 appeared to be very much in jeopardy. Kirby landed the one-race ride in the Mark Alexander / Alexander Trucking #4 Stinger as a substitute for his good friend Rickie Gaunt. At night's end, Kirby had driven his buddy's car to his 43rd lifetime SCRA main event win. "Rickie's probably not going to like me anymore. He had to go to a wedding so they called me and asked me to drive the car. I told then, hell, I already wrecked your other car. I might as well ruin this one too," Kirby said referencing a violent crash three weeks ago testing a new car for Alexander.
"This is a good race car, and it's a car we had when we were teamed up together (two years ago). This has nothing to do with Rickie losing his ride or anything like that. We've all been friends for a long time and this helps them get ready for the (Non-Winged World Championship) tour." They needed a good run because Rickie's been consistent all year, they just haven't had any luck." Kirby, who's leaving for vacation tomorrow with about 30 people, including Gaunt, also won the JE Pistons Dash and started on the front row for the main event with Sander Engineering Fast Time Award winner Rip Williams. Kirby and Williams were even heading into turn one at the start, before Kirby grabbed the lead exiting the bottom of turn two. With Richard Griffin, Kevin Urton, Tony Jones and Damion Gardner running directly behind him, Williams began to slow on lap two. One lap later, Williams would retired with ignition problems and would receive the Hedman Hedders Hard-luck Award. As Williams worked his way back to the pit area, Gardner was hard at work putting the Harlan Willis / TCR Performance #45 into the third spot after starting eighth. Five laps into the race, Gardner was now close enough to challenge the Ron Chaffin / Arizona Race Mart #50 Jon Boy driven by Griffin.
Kirby reached lapped traffic for the first time on the eleventh lap, giving Griffin and Gardner an opportunity to make it a three-car fight for the lead. Gardner darted around the outside of Griffin in turn two on lap 14, and was immediately on Kirby's tail tank. With Gardner and Griffin breathing down his neck, Kirby was stuck behind slower cars racing three-wide for position on lap 21. Brilliantly, Kirby darted past two of the cars, leaving Gardner pinned on the bottom of turn three. Still bottled-up behind the slower cars exiting turn four, Gardner was inadvertently bumped by Griffin, sending him sideways towards the infield. Gardner did a masterful job of avoiding a spin, and continued on in third place.
All the bumping and banging behind him allowed Kirby to pull out a ten-car length lead over Griffin. Just when it looked Kirby was about to drive off to a comfortable victory, the only caution flag of the race waved on lap 23, after Mark Heidenreich and Mark Nation tangled to a stop on the front straight. During the caution period, sixth place Mike Spencer had a tire go flat and had to make a pit stop. Spencer returned to finish 11th.
"I got through lapped traffic great," Kirby said later. "This car was good on the top, the bottom, the middle, anywhere, it didn't matter. I really didn't want to see that yellow with seven laps to go, but you know how that goes."
What looked like a huge break for Griffin, turned out to more beneficial for Gardner. Despite restarting the race with three lapped cars between himself and Griffin, Gardner quickly closed in. Griffin bobbled in turn one after taking a last lap stab at Kirby for the win, putting Gardner within striking distance. Heading into turn three, Gardner gave Griffin a big slide job leaving the four-time champion no other options but to get out of the throttle and settle for third place.
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Mike Kirby (1st), 2. Damion Gardner (8th), 3. Richard Griffin (3rd), 4. Troy Rutherford (7th), 5. Josh Ford (9th), 6. Adam Mitchell (5th), 7. Kevin Urton (4th), 8. Jordan Hermansader (11th), 9. Bobby Graham (13th), 10. Tony Jones (6th), 11. Mike Spencer (10th), 12. Alan Ballard (16th), 13. Verne Sweeney (14th), 14. Greg Bragg (12th),
15. Lance Gremett (17th), 16. Randy Waitman (22nd), 17. J Hicks (15th), 18. Seth Wilson (20th), 19. Mark Nation (19th), 20. Mark Heidenreich (18th), 21. Brian Venard (21st), 22. Rip Williams (2nd).
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FEATURE LAP LEADERS:
Laps 1-30 Mike Kirby. |
