Thought I might slip another of these retro threads in on you while we await the '09 season. This was originally to be a "Wingless Western" three nighter with the sprints to be CRA sanctioned. The word I got is that Frank Lewis (then the owner and czar of CRA) and Keith Hall (then the Manzy promoter) had a disagreement (putting it mildly) over distribution of the back gate receipts. Lewis pulled the sanction and I heard that he even bought radio time in the L.A. area to announce that the racing had been cancelled. Not so, as Hall made it a two day deal with open sprints, and AMRA Midgets on Friday followed by open sprints and "360 Nationals" on Saturday.

I'll limit the posted results pretty much to the sprint car features.

Time Trials Rained Out

Friday 10/23/92 - 20 Laps - No Time

55 Brad Noffsinger................1::::57x Mike Campbell...................22
17 Troy Cline.......................4::::51 Ricky Johnson......................7
-4 Richard Griffin..................2::::59 Mike Kirby...........................6
63 Mike English...................18::::57w Ron Wolfe........................8
47 Rip Williams.....................5::::37 Cary Faas...........................3
77 Adam Mitchell.................15::::97 Jimmy Norman....................16
109 Tony Elliott....................9::::31c Sid Blandford....................13
91 Eric Wilkins.....................11::::3c Gary Cameron....................10
19 Bobby Michnowicz............14::::57 Ron DiDonato.....................12
25 Tim Orchard....................18::::75 Gary Howard......................17
81 Steve Dunn.....................21::::55a Jerrel Slinkard...................19

+Lealand McSpadden (car owned by Frank Lewis), Verne Sweeney, & Harlan Willis were among notables who supported Lewis with "no shows".
+Steve Ostling #5 was a DNS. Don't know why. Ron Shuman dumped the beautiful Ann Wilkerson owned red #11 big time on the backstretch in warmups. I asked Billy W. the next day at the motel if they would have it ready for that nite's racing. He said they couldn't have fixed it in time even if they had been at home in CA.
+Noffsinger lead all the way. To his surprise, he found out the next day that it paid only $1000. 12 Cars finished with 9 on the lead lap.
+Heats were won by Cary Faas, Rip Williams, and Ron Wolfe.
+ AMRA Midget feature (on the smaller inner track) was won by Jack Yeley (yep, he of "Cactus" fame) followed by Mark Passarrelli, Ricky Johnson (he was in Wayne Weiler Farms cars), Buddy Nelson, and J.J. Yeley (who??? :wink ). Heats went to Josh Pelkey, Mike Pinney, and David Birmingham.

Saturday 10/24/92 - 42 Laps - 14:43.26

59 Mike Kirby.................4::::-4 Richard Griffin..............1
109 Tony Elliott............17::::51 Ricky Johnson..............8
57w Ron Wolfe.............12::::17 Troy Cline...................9
37 Cary Faas.................3::::47 Rip Williams.................2
-5 Steve Ostling.............5::::63 Mike English...............11
55 Brad Noffsinger...........6::::57x Mike Campbell...........20
97 Jimmy Norman...........14::::85 Bobby Marcum...........16
31c Sid Blandford, Jr.......10::::91 Eric Wilkins.................7
57 Ron DiDonato............13::::55a Tim Orchard.............15
81 Steve Dunn..............18::::19 Bobby Michnowicz.......19

+No time trials or heats. The semi-main was won by Jimmy Norman #97.
+Gary Howard #75 and Terry Holliman #23 were DNS's (????).
+The "Gas Man" won $5000 in this race which went 42 green to checkers laps due to someone losing track of the laps run.
+The "360 Nationals" feature was won by Bob Ream, Jr. 6AZ.
+The Friday night show was held up due to rain. With lightning dancing around in the seemingly nearby Camelback Mountains (at least I think they were the Camelbacks) my son Doug and I decided that if we were to be struck by lightning, we preferred to be holding a beer at the time. So we left the stands to visit the concessions where we met and had a nice long chat (and a few brews) with "Doc" Griffin (Richard's Dad). I had previously met Richard's wife at Lawrenceburg on one of the CRA Eastern Tours, so I guess I could be considered a close friend of the Griffin family. :wink:O:
+This deal cost me a fortune for the two of us what with tickets, beer, plane fare, beer, car rental, beer, 3 nights at Embassy Suites,..............and oh yeh, the beer. And it was worth every penny. Met a bunch of great folks, including now long time racing friend Ed Pollock (Aaron & Drew uncle).
+Also met a super nice chap by the name of Don Gilchrest who provided great advance info in advising me how to get tickets and where to sit, where to stay, where to eat, and so forth. Don used to write an NSSN column (I think it was West Coast Wandering ). A young lady from Wichita named Deana whom I had previously met when she traveled with the CRA souvenir trailer was acquainted with Don and his lady. She flew back as far as Dallas with us. I bring this up only to inquire if any IOW'ers know whatever happened to either of these racing folks. :confused:
+Yeh, I know.......got carried away again didn't I? Enough! :checkered:

Good stuff "Fish"......That wasn't the only disagreement "K" has ever had over the years about Purses!!..back gate!!..show n' tow money!!......some of 'em with the greats of n' in the sport!!....Always great Racin' on either track there!!.....Head'n for there Feb. 10th,n' for the full 'West Coast Swing'.........Cya all there!!.........
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Brucer'