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Norris Victorious On Last Lap, Miller Named MSCS Champ
By: Natasha Fabian
September 21, 2003 (Rockford, IL) – In a final-lap pass, Brandon Norris of
Ottawa, Illinois, took the checkered flag first over competitor Ryan Finley in
the fifty-six lap main event for the Midwest Sportsman Championship Series in
the National Short Track Championships at Rockford Speedway Sunday afternoon.
Finley had started from the outside of pole-sitter Erik Pierce and led until
the final turn of the most important lap of the race. Norris had a great run
at Rockford in the series' debut race in April, starting the season atop the
point standings. After months of misfortune, Norris closed the season on a
high note.
Coming into the weekend's program, Josh Bauer of Random Lake, Wisconsin, was
stationed only twenty points about Jeremy Miller. Bauer was the only multiple
race winner in the series and has a reputation of being a consistent
front-runner. Miller ached for a title after narrowly missing the mark at the
Lake Geneva Raceway for the weekly division, and had past success at Rockford,
picking up the win in the opening series race. With a feature win being good
for 200 points, this final race was crucial in securing overall position.
There were only five-tenths of a second separating the twenty-one car field in
qualifying. Bauer gained ten points over Miller in his timed effort. However,
Miller was able to gain those valuable points back by beating Bauer in the
heat race. Miller started fifteenth in the fifty-six lap main event, and Bauer
was right behind in the seventeenth spot. Miller knew what he needed to do
when Bauer pulled off the track only eleven laps into the race. Miller rode
out the rest of the laps, as Bauer would have needed to finish in the top
three to hold the title but was unable to finish better than seventeenth.
The 2003 MSCS championship was the first for the driver, as well as the first
for the new series. Miller will be recognized for his accomplishment at the
banquet, for which details are not yet available.
Midwest Sportsman Championship Series drivers will have one final chance to
shine this year at the O'Doul's Fall Classic held at the Lake Geneva Raceway
September 26-28. All drivers must race in this special to be considered for
contingency awards. Lake Geneva Raceway is located less than one hour from
Milwaukee, Madison, Rockford or Chicago on Bloomfield Road in Lake Geneva,
Wisconsin.
RESULTS
Quick Time: James Swan, Wonder Lake, Ill. 14.257 secs
Heat 1: John Senerchia, Oak Forest, Ill.
Heat 2: Nick Schumacher, Germantown, Wis.
Feature: (1-10) Brandon Norris, Ottawa, Ill.; Ryan Finley, Big Rock,
Ill.; Bob Hacker, Loves Park, Ill.; Erik Pierce, Lake In The Hills, Ill.;
Stevie Campbell, Lisle, Ill; Dave Thomas, Franklin, Wis.; Jeremy Miller,
Roscoe, Ill.; Bobby Gutknecht, Franklin, Wis.; Peter Hernandez, Mokena, Ill.;
Nick Schumacher, Germantown, Wis.
(11-20) John Senerchia, Oak Forest, Ill.; Shawn Utphall, Racine, Wis.; Dennis
Norton Jr., McHenry, Ill.; Ken Joosten, Wonder Lake, Ill.; Michael Anderson,
Sheboygan, Wis.; Kellen Arnold, Morris, Ill.; Josh Bauer, Random Lake, Wis.;
James Swan, Wonder Lake, Ill.; Bill Neering, Cedar Lake, Ind.; Tim
Sargent, Beloit, Wis.
(21) Thomas Garbacz, Schaumburg, Ill.
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