The
105 winningest drivers MY EYES have seen
- By Bobby
Gerould - Last updated July 20, 2006. Rocklin, CA. …Here is a fun project
that anyone can do. Try to re-trace all the races that you have been to
in your lifetime, and list the winners of each feature your eyes have seen.
It takes time; I've been working on my list literally for about six years.
About once a month I take a few hours and dig through old programs, do Google
searches, read journals, and use Kevin
Eckert's website to try to find the race winners I saw. For the sake
of clarity - I am including any race where I was on the grounds - even the
ones I may have slept through as a three year old. My Dad was an announcer
of super-modified, and sprint car events on the West Coast. From birth I
went to West Capital Raceway (W. Sacramento, CA.) on Saturdays. Later, as
Dad did more writing, and announcing we included Friday nights at Chico
CA. and special events at Dixon CA. into the mix. As a teenager and college
student I worked for NARC and hit all the major Northern California dirt
tracks. Adult work for USAC, the World of Outlaws, and others has blessed
us with the opportunity to see many tracks across the USA, and into Canada.
The results of all this logging and work will be a historical log that I
can always go back to for reflection. My list will obviously reflect my
environment. It will not be a list of who I consider to be the greatest
drivers ever. That would be subjective, and impossible. But I can scientifically
list the best drivers I have seen. This list is a fun project for me and
I hope you will enjoy the journey to naming number one.
...#105 Perry
James Jr. - Elverta, CA. - 2 wins. #104 - Peter
Murphy - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia / Oakhurst, CA. 2 wins.
#103 Johnny Tiner - Rio Linda, California.
2 wins. # 102 Ed
Organ, Napa CA. - 2 wins. #101 Lee
Brewer Jr. - Memphis, TN. - 2 wins. #100 Johnny
Pearson, Stockton, CA. two wins. #99 Dave
Bradway SR - Fair Oaks, CA. - Two wins. #98 Mike
Kirby. Torrance, CA. - two wins. #97 Blake
Robertson - Visalia, CA. - two wins. #96 Andy
Forsberg - Auburn, CA. - two wins. #95
Brian Crockett - Sacramento, CA. - two wins. #94
Rick Horton - Concord, CA. Two wins.
#93 Jason Statler - Los Gatos,
CA. two wins. #92 Larry Burton
- Roseville, CA. two wins. #91 Rip Williams
- Yorba Linda, CA. two wins. #90 Tyler
Walker - Santa Clarita, CA. two wins. #89 Danny
Smith - Danville, IN. two wins.#83 Mitch
Sue - Live Oak, CA. - 3 wins. #80 Joe Hill
- Sacramento, CA. - Three wins.
#88 Jason
Leffler - Long Beach, CA. two wins.
...Among the drivers I've seen win
twice that haven't reached their racing prime yet is Jason Leffler. The
30-year old from Southern California is presently splitting time between
the NASCAR Busch Series and selected open-wheel events. Both times I've
witnessed a Leffler win, it was on the blacktop. I saw him grab Copper World
glory at Phoenix International Raceway in 2000, and late last year - I watched
with delight as he man-handled his Midget to a Turkey Night win at Irwindale.
…Leffler owns three USAC National Midget driving championships. He won them
in succession from 1997-99. He also was the USAC Silver Crown Champ in 1998.
…In 2004 he won a NASCAR Busch Series event at Nashville Super Speedway.
In `02 - Leffler won both the Hoosier Hundred (Silver Crown on dirt) and
the Night Before the 500 (midgets at IRP). In 2003 a NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Series win at Dover, DE came to the 5'4" 140 lb. pilot. …Leffler won a record
$20,000 for his 1999 midget win at the 16th Street Speedway's, "Summer Sizzle"
in Indianapolis. …In my dealings with Jason - he has always been a cool
cat. It became quickly and obviously apparent to me that Leffler loves racing
and he has a sense for the history of the sport. I like that.
Leffler survives to win his second Turkey
Night Grand Prix - By Robert Mayson Irwindale, CA. 11/24/05 ...Jason
Leffler, of Long Beach, CA, won the 65th running of the Turkey Night Grand
Prix for USAC Midgets Thursday night at Irwindale (CA) Speedway. Leffler,
who won the first Turkey Night race held at Irwindale back in 1999, started
on the pole for the 100-lap event and took the lead from Dave Steele, of
Tampa, FL, on lap 53. "I called around looking for a ride and everyone told
me that I wasnt good enough to drive their midget, so I had to build my
own," Leffler joked. "It's great for me to be able to come here tonight
and win after putting a last-minute deal like this together. Being from
Long Beach, I used to go to Ascot Park (Gardena, CA) when I was a kid and
this was the biggest race that I went to every year. With the Agajanian
name here, it's real special to have my name put on this trophy." In
addition to Leffler's victory in Todd Braun's Team ASE #32L K-K, two champions
were also crowned. Josh Wise of Riverside, CA, won the 2005 USAC National
Midget Championship, while Jerome Rodela of El Monte, CA, took home the
Western Midget title. Rodela entered the evening seven points behind Robby
Flock, of Murietta, CA. Despite having to scratch his primary ride after
motor problems in time trials, Rodela was able to drive his VanDyne Engineering
#25X Beast from the 23rd starting position to a fifth place finish, earning
him the Western States crown by 18 points over Flock, who finished 15th.
"It's a good thing that I brought my other car. I had it, so I figured I
might as well bring it and it really paid off," Rodela said after winning
his first Western States Midget Championship. "This is just awesome, and
I'm at a loss for words." (Read it all)
Cushion Abusing Leffler Back in Midget
Glory on Night Two of Chili Bowl - HD Staff - Tulsa, OK. 01/08/04
- Jason Leffler returned to his roots with a rim-riding Chili Bowl Midget
Nationals preliminary victory Thursday night at the Tulsa Expo. Leffler,
who now makes a living in NASCAR, held off 1988 Chili Bowl champ, Scott
Hatton to earn the right to stand next to the Hooters girls. Hatton was
runner-up, while the final automatic berths into Saturday's finale were
taken by Tony Stewart, and Tracy Hines. Said the winner, “You try to go
where everyone else isn’t at, so I went to the top and it worked out.” Leffler
went on to say, “Tracy (Hines) said it coming up to the press conference,
that the prelim nights are almost more intense than the finale on Saturday.
You feel like you’ve got to get yourself locked into the feature. It’s intense,
and it’s good to have it over.” (more)
