AMERICAN STOCKCAR CHALLENGE: ROUND 8 (& DRIVER'S DIARIES)
Thunderhill Raceway. Willows, CA. September 6 & 7th, 2003

Round 8 of the American Stockcar Challenge (ASC) championship chase proved to
be full of excitement as the ground pounding stockcars took to Thunderhill
Raceway. The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) which sanctions this race
series grouped the ASC cars with American Iron (AI) and Camaro Mustang
Challenge (CMC), both of which are made of production based race cars. This made for
a very large field of cars with three staggered starts. With ASC cars
circling the three mile circuit over ten seconds a lap faster than some of the AI and
CMC cars, traffic management took on an increasingly important role for ASC
drivers. But when the dust finally cleared, rookies Brian Colodny and Michael
Arnheiter picked up their first ASC wins on each of the races held on Saturday
and Sunday.

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6TH RACE RESULTS:
* American Stockcar Challenge
ASC #14- Brian Colodny (Best Lap: 1:58.743)
ASC #5- Alan Huston (Best Lap: 1:58.895)
ASC #34- Jeff Glowniak (Best Lap: 1:59.200)
ASC #80- Michael Arnheiter (Best Lap: 1:56.932)
ASC #28- Chris Strom (Best Lap: 1:58.379)
DQ: ASC #90- Steve Carvajal (Best Lap: 1:57.201)
DQ: ASC #33- David Arnheiter (Best Lap: 1:57.164)
* American Stockcar Challenge- Exhibition class
ASC-X #76- Ken Lowell (Best Lap: 1:58.999)
ASC-X/ProTruck #55- Ken Stinnett (Best Lap: 1:56.893)

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 7TH RACE RESULTS:
* American Stockcar Challenge
ASC #80- Michael Arnheiter (Best Lap: 1:56.283)
ASC #90- Steve Carvajal (Best Lap: 1:56.261)
ASC #33- David Arnheiter (Best Lap: 1:57.021)
ASC #34- Jeff Glowniak (Best Lap: 1:59.098)
ASC #14- Brian Colodny (Best Lap:1:58.914)
ASC #5- Alan Huston (Best Lap: 1:59.278)
* American Stockcar Challenge- Exhibition class
ASC-X #76- Ken Lowell (Best Lap: 1:55.590)
ASC-X/ProTruck #55- Ken Stinnett (Best Lap: 1:56.564)

DRIVER'S DIARIES:
Steve Carvajal (ASC #90):
Saturday September 6th: I crossed the checkered flag first both days, and
walked away without a win. We were racing close on Saturday. Ken Lowell in a
Craftsman truck, #76 (running in Exhibition Class), myself, Dave Arnheiter, Mike
"Mikey" Arnheiter, Ken Stinnett, (in a Protruck), and Chris Strom. (Mikey's
new car is a rocket by the way!!!). From what I gathered, we went into (I
believe) turn 9 three wide with two CMC cars dicing it out, side by side. Ken in
the #76 truck, and I slide through, Dave Arnheiter tries then reconsiders,
Mikey thinks this is the time, goes left into the dirt into Turn 10 and T-Bones
brother Dave, right in the armpit, knocking him sideways, Stinnett checks up,
only to be hit in the rear by Strom. Stinnett then hits Mikey in the right
door, knocking him back into his brother's front left corner. Out of the race
with damage are Mikey, Stinnett, Strom. Dave and I are able to continue. Alan
Huston, Brian Colodny, Jeff Glowniak follow us to impound. Later Dave and I are
disqualified for passing under a yellow in turn 3 on an earlier lap. Brian,
Alan, Jeff end up 1, 2 & 3. Congrats to Brian Colodny for his first ASC win!

Sunday September 7th: Mikey qualifies on the pole for ASC followed by Dave
A., myself, Strom, Brian, Jeff, Alan. Stinnett is the fastest but has to start
from the back. Mikey gets a good start, but bobbles a bit in Turn 2 and I take
him. This group is WAY too close to make any mistakes. I take the lead and
stay in front the whole race. Stinnett gets by, as does the Craftsman truck, but
since they're running in Exhibition class, I'm not concerned. Mikey chases
hard the whole race, but can't close the deal, or so I think... I cross the
flagstand and take the checkered flag, back off the gas, Mikey pulls alongside to
congratulate, (so I think...) BUT NO! NO ONE Bothered to mention that the
finish line is NOT at the flag stand but 300 yards further down the track.
Congratulations to Mikey on the SNEAKIEST win ever. It was great racing! The
Arnheiter brothers are going to be tough and Chris Strom was well within the hunt.
Brian and Jeff both improved bunches during the weekend. I just can't wait until
I have Mikey in my sights again.

Brian Colodny (ASC #14):
I had a great time at Thunderhill. It was good to finally be able to race
against some cars and not just play follow the leader. Alan and I had a great
side by side race to the finish on Saturday. We thought we were racing for 3rd
and 4th and did not know that it was going to be for 1st and 2nd. I don't think
that we would have been able to race any harder in that I went through the
last turn sideways! Jeff was a great competitor on Sunday where we had some good
side by side events. As usual the rest of the ASC group was fun to race with,
for the first 3rd of the race on Sunday, we were pretty much in a
follow-the-leader group until we started to catch up with the AI/CMC group. I need to get
a few more ponys (and not get caught behind a couple of side by side pokey
CMC's) to really be competitive. We're going to see what we can legally figure
out between now and Buttonwillow.

American Stockcar Challenge vs ProTruck Wars: Round 6

Scorching Competition in the High Desert. By Jerry Brown.
Dave Arnheiter (#33, Los Alamitos, CA) overcame a practice crash and
scorching competition to capture his 2nd straight race win and regain
the points lead in Round 6 of the 2003 American Stockcar Challenge
(ASC), hosted by the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) July 26-
27 at "The Fastest Road in the West", Willow Springs International Raceway.

Saturday, July 26: Due to the format of gridding the ASC cars with
their partner series, Pro Truck (PT), solely on qualifying times,
Jerry Brown (#22, Santa Clara, CA) took his first ASC pole surrounded
by trucks on the inside of the 2nd row with a 1:26.91 effort. Ken
Stinnett (#5, Phoenix, AZ) with a 1:28.34 in a borrowed car, and
Steve Carvajal (#90, El Paso, TX) with a 1:28.77, rounded out the top
3 ASC cars. Dave Arnheiter missed qualifying following a practice
session crash with another ASC car, but with borrowed tools and the
hard work of his crew, was able to make repairs. Unfortunately, the
other car, owned and driven by series regular Manuel Gil del Real
(#27, Phoenix, AZ) was not as lucky.

At the start, Brown was mugged by one of the trucks and lost a
position, but Stinnett immediately fell substantially off the pace,
and ultimately retired with mechanical problems. Carvajal and
Arnheiter wasted no time in moving through the field, and Brown
regained his position, to create a 3-car ASC train behind the 2nd
place truck. In an attempt to put the truck between himself and
Carvajal, Brown spun in T3, letting both Carvajal and Arnheiter by.
The two proceeded to produce some fantastic racing, trading places 3
times, until Arnheiter got by the truck and was able to put distance
on Carvajal. A last-lap spin by Carvajal in T2 gave Brown a chance to
regain a position, but Carvajal was able to get back on track and
block him from going by.

Arnheiter celebrated his hard-won 2nd race in a row, with Carvajal
hanging on to 2nd, followed by Brown in third. An elated Arnheiter
said, "We were all faster than the truck, and we all knew the one to
get by him was going to win."

Saturday ASC Race Results, Fast Laps:
1) Dave Arnheiter, #33, 1:27.29
2) Steve Carvajal, #90, 1:27.58
3) Jerry Brown, #22, 1:27.78
4) Ken Stinnett, #5, 1:35.31

Sunday, July 27: Having fixed his mechanical gremlins, and taking
advantage of fresher tires from his early retirement Saturday,
Stinnett took pole with a 1:26.86, followed by Carvajal (1:27.41) and
Brown (1:27.68). At the start, Brown got by Stinnett in T1, but on
the next lap, Stinnett and Brown got together in T4, causing Brown to
get loose, letting Stinnett and a truck by. Several laps later, a
truck got into Brown at the apex of T9, sending him spinning and out
of reach of the leaders. Stinnett's mechanical problems resurfaced
just past the half-way point and he again retired. Arnheiter drove
his usual consistent race, and moved steadily through the pack, right
up behind Carvajal.

Carvajal paced himself to the ASC win, followed by Arnheiter, then
Brown.

Sunday ASC Race Results, Fast Laps:
1) Steve Carvajal, #90, 1:28.92
2) Dave Arnheiter, #33, 1:29.01
3) Jerry Brown, #22, 1:28.82
4) Ken Stinnett, #5, 1:28.36

AMERICAN STOCKCAR CHALLENGE CANCELS RENO FERNLEY RACE

Richmond, CA. July 23rd, 2003. The American Stockcar Challenge (ASC)
announced today that Round 7 scheduled to take place at the newly built Reno Fernley
Raceway on August 9th and 10th will be cancelled. This popular West Coast
stockcar road racing series is hosted by the National Auto Sport Association (NASA)
and has seen growing fields since it's first race in 2001. This announcement
confirmed rumours that ASC officials had been concerned about track safety.
In a letter addressed to NASA's National Director Jerry Kunzman, ASC National
Race Director Jerry Brown wrote:
"Unfortunately, at this time, I feel the track is not yet ready for
our cars. While there is some debate regarding the track layout,
concerns mentioned often are the minimal runoff areas, dropoffs, and
the wall on the outside of the last turn. In addition, I feel that
1.2 miles is just too short to provide a quality race experience for
our competitors."
Citing the lack of available replacement venues and dates, Brown added that
the October 18th and 19th race at Buttonwillow Raceway will instead become a
double points event.

WINE COUNTRY STOMPING IN SONOMA
By Jerry Brown

June 28-29 Sonoma, CA: Just one week after American Stockcar Challenge (ASC)
alumnus Dave Brown scored an impressive podium finish in the annual NASCAR
Southwest Tour (SWT) race at Infineon Raceway, the roar of American V8s again
reverberated through the Sonoma hills. The National Auto Sport Association (NASA)
hosted Round 5 of the 2003 ASC season at the famed racing venue, in which Ken
Stinnett (#43, Phoenix, AZ) continued his trend of dominating the field on
Saturday, then falling victim to some malady on Sunday.

Saturday, June 28th: A light turn-out meant ASC shared a race session with
three Pony car race series, most of which were far off the pace of the ASC cars.
As has become custom, most competitors limited qualifying to two or three
laps, to conserve their single set of allotted Goodyear racing slicks. Stinnett,
Dave Arnheiter (#33, Los Alamitos, CA) and Jerry Brown (#22, Santa Clara, CA)
got out early in the qualifying session to grab the top three spots.

Due to a snafu at the staggered race start, the ASC group was forced to take
an extra parade lap, then thundered up the hill towards Turn 2 into the
late-afternoon sun. By lap 2 the front-runners were busy dodging the slower Pony
cars while dicing with each other - quite a trick, given the closing speeds.
Attrition came early and often: Brian Colodny (#14, Carson City, NV), Arnheiter,
and Jeff Glowniak (#34, San Mateo, CA) all went out with mechanical
difficulties, while Tom Waters (#60, Carson City, NV) had an incident at Turn 10, where
he backed his car hard into the wall, just past the tires. Fortunately, Waters
was not injured.

While Brown gave chase to Stinnett, he found himself embroiled in a heated
battle with a former NASCAR Grand National car driven by Michael Hunt (#10, San
Francisco, CA), running as a guest of the series. On the final lap, Hunt,
using his horsepower advantage, got around Brown on the straight leading to Turn
7, but Brown stayed on his bumper and managed to edge by in Turn 11 when Hunt
went wide after braking very late.

Stinnett was clearly the class of the field, and was never challenged for the
lead. Brown came home 2nd, followed by Glowniak, in his debut race of the
season.

Saturday ASC Race Results, Fast Laps (Sportscar Configuration):
1) Ken Stinnett, #43, 1:45.85
2) Jerry Brown, #22, 1:48.83
3) Jeff Glowniak, #34, 1:59.19
4) Tom Waters, #60, 1:54.05
5) David Arnheiter, #33, 1:51.20
6) Brian Colodny, #14, 2:07.17
7) Chris Strom, #28 *DQ, no-show at post-race tech

Sunday, June 29th: Practice and qualifying were compressed into a single
session, to allow for a longer race, earlier in the day. Stinnett again set the
pace in qualifying, with Arnheiter 2nd, followed by Chris Strom (#28, Redwood
City, CA). Saturday's 3rd qualifier, Brown, lined up at the back, when he failed
to get qualifying times due to a problem with his transponder.

The temperature had cooled from the day before, but the drivers provided
their own heat for the race. At the drop of the green flag, Brown was on the move,
passing both Colodny and Strom by Turn 2, and soon had Arnheiter in his
sights. It wasn't long before the front-runners were again blasting through the
slower Pony car ranks. Brown and Steve Carvajal (#66, El Paso, TX), running a
NASCAR Southwest Tour car as a series guest, got together in Turn 6, when they
tried to avoid a much slower car, putting them both out with cut tires.

Stinnett seemingly had the race well under control when he too suffered a cut
tire late in the race, handing the lead over to Arnheiter. From that point,
Arnheiter paced himself to his first win of the season. Stinnett took 2nd,
while Brown was awarded 3rd.

Sunday ASC Race Results, Fast Laps (Sportscar Configuration):
1) Dave Arnheiter, #33, 1:47.55
2) Ken Stinnett, #43, 1:45.80
3) Jerry Brown, #22, 1:46.80
4) Brian Colodny, #14, 1:50.74
5) Chris Strom, #28 *DQ, no-show at post-race tech

AMERICAN STOCKCAR CHALLENGE INFINEON RACEWAY PRE-RACE NEWS
By David Huang

With the fifth round of the 2003 American Stockcar Challenge (ASC)
Championship less than two weeks away, the entry list for the June 28-29th event grows
daily. Exactly one weekend after the NASCAR event at Infineon Raceway, the ASC
stockcars will be running the longer sportscar circuit in a weekend presented
by the National Auto Sport Association (NASA).

But with recent rules changes, team mechanics have been busy updating the
cars. This will be the first race for the new weight guidelines which allow ASC
cars to weigh in at a lean 2700 pounds, a 100 pound reduction from the previous
rules. Additionally, ASC officials are planning a tire comparison test this
weekend at Buttonwillow Raceway Park. "We have been working with Goodyear tire
engineers in an effort to find a longer lasting tire that doesn't sacrifice
grip" says Jerry Brown, ASC Race Director. Results of this tire comparison test
may indicate a new spec tire from Goodyear before the end of this season.

2001 and 2002 ASC Champion Dave Brown (Castro Valley, CA), who has been
absent from the series this year will be driving in the NASCAR Southwest Tour race
at the same track this weekend. Brown, who has been working on a full-time SWT
ride will be driving the #63 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Brown's lap times in
practice earlier this month have already placed him among the fastest of the SWT
cars.

This will also be the first round that the ASC cars will be running alone.
For the first four rounds this year, the ProTruck (PT) series has been running
with ASC, resulting in some of the most exciting racing around. But for their
fifth round, the ProTruck series travels to Buttonwillow Raceway Park on June
21st-22nd as part of another weekend presented by NASA.

Both the American Stockcar Challenge and ProTrucks utilize stockcars and
trucks in a West Coast spec series dedicated to road racing. All competitors use a
spec sealed crate engine with strict weight restrictions on the cars (2700#
for ASC and 2600# for PT). ProTrucks also run on a spec final drive ratio,
while ASC cars must run on a single set of spec Goodyear tires all weekend long.
Both series boast drivers from diverse backgrounds including: NASCAR's Winston
West, Southwest and Northwest Tours, ASA, ARCA, West Coast Speed Trucks, SCCA
World Challenge, FIA, amateur Porsche Cup Racing, Viper Challenge, Quarter
Midgets and even WKA karting. For more information about ASC, visit the official
website at: http://www.ascracing.com

THUNDER IN THE WEST: "ASC vs PT" Wars Round 4
By David Huang

Rosamond, CA. Geologists have long stated that the California desert is
earthquake country. But on the weekend of May 24-25th, residents of the high desert
community of Rosamond, CA woke up to the kind of ground shaking rumble that
only a pack of stock cars could produce. Hosted by the National Autosport
Association (NASA), round four of the American Stockcar Challenge (ASC) and
ProTruck (PT) Series brought these spectacular machines back to Willow Springs
Raceway for the second time this year. With other exciting NASA series' such as
FranAm West open wheel series, American Iron and Honda Challenge West sharing the
weekend's billing, paddock space was limited. But in what has become a
familiar sight, the stands immediately filled up as soon as the ASC/PT racers took to
the track.

Saturday May 24th: Blazing desert temperatures keeps qualifying speeds slower
than usual and most teams limit their qualifying strategy to two laps in
order to save their tires. In the end, Ken Stinnett (#43 ASC Team Arizona) sets
the pole at 1:27.380 with Jim Swartzbaugh (#57 PT North South Machinery) half a
second behind. Less than a quarter second behind Swartzbaugh is Steve Carvajal
(#90 ASC Team Arizona).

As the pack roars under the green flag, spectators are treated to some of the
best racing of the weekend as Stinnett, Swartzbaugh and Donn Cross (#41 PT
D.C Motorsports) enter Turn 1 three abreast. When they emerge, it is
Swartzbaugh, Stinnett and Cross forming a train with no daylight between their bumpers.
As the field charges into Turn 8 inches apart at over 150mph, William Blauvelt
(#44 ASC RealRide.com Racing) spins off the track sending up a huge dust cloud
and dividing the pack into two groups. "I knew the car behind me was really
close but when my back end suddenly got loose, I realized that he had taken the
air off my spoiler" explains the New Jersey resident after the race.
Meanwhile, up in the front, Jerry Brown (#22 ASC) takes third place from Cross who now
has cousin Mark Cross (#3 PT Cross Communities) tapping his back bumper. A
lap later, James Lindley spins at Turn 6 dividing the pack further. By the fifth
lap, Stinnett takes over the lead from Swartzbaugh and holds it for two laps
until the ProTruck driver takes it back for the final time.

A lap later, Brown pulls off the track with transmission linkage problems,
handing third place over to the Cross cousins who battle it out tooth and nail
for the entire race. For laps on end, the cousins swap leads (and paint) every
lap, each trying to outbrake the other in a test of bravery and skill. In the
end it comes down to a drag race out of the final turn as Mark emerges by a
fender length. A few car lengths behind, the trio of Ed Fernandes (#00 PT
Fernandes Racing), Tim Wright (#7 PT Ear Guards) and ASC series leader David
Arnheiter (#33 ASC Ideco Inc) finish in spectacular fashion with Arnheiter sliding
through the dirt and crossing the finish line sideways.

Saturday Overall Race Results:
1) Jim Swartzbaugh: #57 PT- North South Machinery
2) Ken Stinnett: #43 ASC- Team Arizona
3) Mark Cross: #3 PT- Cross Communities
4) Donn Cross: #41 PT- D.C. Motorsports
5) Edward Fernandes: #00 PT- Fernandez Racing
6) Tim Wright: #7 PT- Ear Guards
7) David Arnheiter: #33 ASC- Ideco Inc
8) Franz Klarer: #271 PT- EDM Machine Shop
9) William Blauvelt: #44 ASC- RealRide.com Racing
10) Tom Waters: #60 ASC- H20 Racing
11) Brian Colodny: #14 ASC- Cobro Motorsports
12) Don Swartzbaugh: #36 PT- North South Machinery
13) Jerry Brown: #22 ASC
14) James Lindley: #70X PT
15) Nathan Swartzbaugh: #12 PT- North South Machinery
16) Steve Carvajal: #90 ASC- Team Arizona
17) Graeme Blackburn: #70 PT- Miller Motorsports
18) *DQ ride height. Manuel Gil Del Real: #27 ASC- Team Arizona
19) *DQ ride height. Ed Ochylski: #55 ASC- Team Arizona
20) *DQ ride height. Tom Taber: #02 ASC- GA-Racing-USA

Sunday May 25th: The Cross cousins flex some more muscle and lead from the
green flag, followed in third by Fernandes. The ProTrucks have control of the
race but close behind, Team Arizona controls the ASC field with Carvajal
leading. By mid race, Brown is the only driver to break into the Arizona stronghold
by passing Ed Ochylski (#55 ASC Team Arizona). And spectators are once again
treated to some exciting racing as Jim Swartzbaugh charges through traffic and
checks out on the field.

But series newcomers Brian Colodny (#14 ASC Cobro Motorsports), Don
Swartzbaugh (#36 PT North South Machinery) and Tom Waters (#60 ASC H20 Racing) are the
ones putting on the show today as they spend the entire race battling for
position mid pack. Finally, Colodny emerges ahead, with Waters outbraking Don
Swartzbaugh into the high speed Turn 1.

In the end, Jim Swartzbaugh takes the checkered flag after his incredible
charge through the field, followed closely by Mark and Donn. Finishing in fifth
and leading ASC is Carvajal, followed by Stinnett and Brown.

Sunday Overall Race Results:
1) Jim Swartzbaugh: #57 PT- North South Machinery
2) Mark Cross: #3 PT- Cross Communities
3) Donn Cross: #41 PT- D.C. Motorsports
4) Edward Fernandes: #00 PT- Fernandes Racing
5) Steve Carvajal: #90 ASC- Team Arizona
6) Ken Stinnett: #43 ASC- Team Arizona
7) Jerry Brown: #22 ASC
8) Ed Ochylski: #55 ASC- Team Arizona
9) David Arnheiter: #33 ASC- Ideco Inc
10) Tim Wright: #7 PT- Ear Guards
11) Franz Klarer: #271 PT- EDM Machine Shop
12) Graeme Blackburn: #70 PT- Miller Motorsports
13) Brian Colodny: #14 ASC- Cobro Motorsports
14) Tom Waters: #60 ASC- H20 Racing
15) Don Swartzbaugh: #36 PT- North South Machinery
16) Nathan Swartzbaugh: #12 PT- North South Machinery
17) Manuel Gil Del Real: #27 ASC- Team Arizona

THE GREATEST SPECTACLE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
By David Huang

Rosamond, CA. While Indianapolis sees the "The Greatest Specatacle In
Racing", Southern California will feature it's own super race weekend as hundreds of
road racers converge onto Willow Springs Raceway. Hosted by the National
Autosport Association, five Race Groups will be featured representing over 20
different classes of racing. And with the added benefit of local television
coverage, the turnout is promising to be huge.

Group A: FranAm Challenge cars. These are F3 type carbon fiber monocoque race
cars with sequential gearboxes, Renault powerplants, and large budget teams.
This series also runs support for CART and ALMS. Watch the F1 and Champ Car
stars of tomorrow battle it out.

Group B: American Iron, Camaro Mustang Challenge, Viper Corvette Challenge,
Factory Five Challenge. Production based muscle cars at their best! With the
rise in popularity of the American Iron series, teams are spending huge dollars
on these monster race cars. American Iron brings back the days of TransAm
racing where the cars represented the ultimate evolution of a street based car.
Camaro Mustang Challenge races will continue the popular American debate of GM
vs Ford. The newly formed Viper Corvette Challenge will pit exotic muscle
against each other. And for those who love the sight of vintage muscle, the Factory
Five Challenge features Shelby Cobra replicas battling it out.

Group C: American Stockcar Challenge and ProTrucks are NASA's fastest
fendered cars. For the past four rounds, this series has proven itself to be the most
spectacular show of the weekend. If you enjoy watching the Winston Cup races
at Sears Point and Watkins Glenn, then you'll love ASC. This series features
NASCAR style stockcars and race trucks powered by identical engines and tires.
This series features drivers with backgrounds in professional series' as
NASCAR's Southwest Tour, Winston West, SCCA's World Challenge and TransAm, FIA
Sportscars, Amateur Porsche Cup Racing, Viper Challenge, and even WKA karting. The
term Rubbin' Is Racin' holds true in this group as three car abreast battles
are a common sight. Feel the ground shake?

Group D: Spec Miata Challenge, Honda Challenge West, Nissan SE-R Challenge,
Pro Sedan, Pro-7, Super Unlimited, Renault Sport Racers, 944-Spec, and all
others. Sometimes smaller is better... For those who like their race cars small
and nimble this group features some of the best in small bore race cars. Spec
Miata Challenge pits identically prepared Miatas against each other. Honda
Challenge West features 4 classes of race prepared Hondas in an all out battle.
Watch Nissan SE-R's battle it out. Pro Sedan features modified sport compact cars
such as: Datsun 240Z's, Mazda RX7's, and Porsche 914's. Identically prepared
first generation Mazda RX7's battle in Pro7. Exotic sportscars with unlimited
modifications (and budgets!) wow the crowds in Super Unlimited. The Renault
powered sports racers show lightweight agility in Spec Racer Renault and Porsche
power comes to town with the 944-Spec class.

Group E: Multiple classes of BMW race cars battle each other in the North
American Bavarian Racing series.

Willow Springs Raceway is located just 10 miles North of Lancaster, CA. From
the Interstate 5 fwy, take the Hwy 14 North past Lancaster and exit on
Rosamond Blvd. Head West about 5 miles until you see the gates to the track on the
right side. Admission is free to spectators, and $10 for a paddock pass good for
both days. Gates open at 8am.

TEAM ARIZONA SUCCESSFULLY DEFENDS AGAINST CALIFORNIA INVASION ON HOME TURF
by David Huang

Goodyear, AZ. On the weekend of April 12th and 13th 2003, the American
Stockcar Challenge (ASC) and ProTrucks (PT) traveled to Arizona Motorsport
Park (AMP) becoming the first high profile series to run at this newly built
facility. Twelve California teams made the tow to Arizona for Round Three of
the "ASC/PT Wars". Despite the heavy onslaught from the California invasion,
TEAM ARIZONA which fields the single largest roster of ASC drivers, defended
themselves on home turf with an overall win on Sunday and an ASC win on
Saturday.

SATURDAY APRIL12th: With the track closed on Friday for private testing, few
of the ASC/PT drivers had driven at this brand new facility. But this didn't
seem to bother Ross Thompson (#99 ASC: TEAM ARIZONA) who qualified on the
pole with a blistering 1:39.823. Before the green flag had even dropped,
Saturday's race would prove to be one of the most exciting to date. As the
cars lined up for pre-grid, TEAM ARIZONA mechanics were scrambling to get the
cars of both Thompson and front row partner, Ken Stinnett (#43 ASC: TEAM
ARIZONA) on the track. While the rest of the cars rolled out onto the track,
neither Thompson nor Stinnett's cars were anywhere to be seen, leaving the
ProTrucks led by Mark Cross (#33 PT: CROSS COMMUNITIES) to take up the top
three starting positions. And like a scene in a Hollywood movie, both TEAM
ARIZONA cars suddenly charged out of the gates chasing after the rest of the
pack on it's warmup lap in the last second. Ironically, this was short lived
as Thompson's transmission self destructed less than a lap later. And as if
that wasn't enough drama, Ed Ochylski (#55 ASC: TEAM ARIZONA) suddenly
coasted into the pits with a broken rear suspension. All these events taking
place before the green flag had even dropped.

For what seemed like an eternity, spectators were forced to watch the pack
follow the pace car around. But when the green flag finally dropped, they
were immediately treated to even more excitement starting at Turn 2 when the
2nd and 3rd place ProTrucks of Donn Cross (#41 PT: MB AUTO) and Ed Fernandez
(#00 PT: PACIFIC BUILDERS) tangled. When the rest of the pack emerged from
the thick cloud of dust and flying body panels, it was Mark Cross in the lead
with Justin Sallows (#106 ASC-X: REALRIDE.COM RACING) giving chase. Tim
Wright (#7 PT: EAR GUARDS) was next, followed by ASC Series Points Leader
Dave Arnheiter (#33 ASC: IDECO INC) and Manuel Gil del Real (#27 ASC: TEAM
ARIZONA).

By mid race, Mark Cross had pulled out a commanding lead over the rest of the
pack while Sallows dropped further back with handling woes. Meanwhile,
Fernandez and Donn Cross had both rejoined the race and were moving back up
the field, albeit with a few body panels missing. But it was the cars of Jim
Swartzbaugh (#57 PT: NORTH SOUTH MACHINERY) and Stinnett working their way
through the pack that caught everyone's attention.

With a few laps remaining, Swartzbaugh had taken over the lead with Fernandez
following closely. A second behind, Donn Cross was nervously checking out the
battle that was taking place in his mirrors between cousin Mark Cross and Tim
Wright. Entering the final turns, Mark Cross spun allowing Stinnett, who had
been patiently waiting behind this battle to slip by both trucks.

At the checkered flag, it was Swartzbaugh followed by Fernandez and Donn
Cross. 4th and leading in ASC was Stinnett, followed by Wright and Mark
Cross. Sallows finished 7th in the lone ASC-X car with Gil del Real and
Arnheiter behind him. Franz Klarer (#27 PT: TEAM EDM), Jerry Bown (#22 ASC),
and ASC rookie Tom Tabor (#02 ASC: GA-RACING-USA) rounded out the final three
finishers. However, at post race impound, Gil del Real was found to be
underweight and disqualified, while Donn Cross who was missing a few body
panels made the minimum weight, but was seen keeping his fingers crossed as
he was pushed onto the scales.

Saturday April 12th:
1) #57 PT Jim Swartzbaugh: North South Machinery- best lap: 1:41.581
2) #33 PT Mark Cross: Cross Communities- best lap: 1:42.681
3) #00 PT Ed Fernandez: Pacific Builders- best lap: 1:41.584
4) #43 ASC Ken Stinnett: Team Arizona- best lap: 1:42.461
5) #41 PT Donn Cross: MB Auto- best lap: 1:42.095
6) #7 PT Tim Wright: Ear Guards- best lap: 1:42.498
7) #33 ASC Dave Arnheiter: Ideco Inc- best lap: 1:43.623
8) #27 PT Franz Klarer: Team EDM- best lap: 1:45.172
9) #22 ASC Jerry Brown- best lap: 1:45.678
10) #02 ASC Tom Taber: GA Racing USA- best lap: 1:45.828 (DNF)
11) #90 ASC Steve Carvajal: Team Arizona- best lap: 1:42.915 (DNF)
No result:
1) #106 ASC-X Justin Sallows: RealRide.com Racing- best lap: 1:43.343
2) #27 ASC Manuel Gil del Real: Team Arizona- (DQ)
3) #99 ASC Ross Thompson: Team Arizona (DNS)
4) #55 ASC Ed Ochylski: Team Arizona (DNS)
5) #55 PT Chris Siedentop: Gaylord's (DNS)

SUNDAY APRIL 13TH: An early morning shootout between a robbery suspect and
the local police at the hotel where several ASC teams were staying left many
crew members looking rather weary. After all, the previous day had been
exciting enough for them without the "Showdown At The OK Corral".
For spectators, this day would prove equally exciting as morning practice and
qualifying indicated that lap times had dropped nearly a second for most
cars. Once again, Ross Thompson (#43 ASC: TEAM ARIZONA) would set the fastest
time in qualifying, this time in Ken Stinnett's car from the previous day.
Meanwhile Stinnett (#99 ASC: TEAM ARIZONA) would be driving Thompson's car
from the previous day. However, in accordance with ASC rules, both drivers
were forced to start from the back for switching cars. Meanwhile, Ed Ochylski
(#87 ASC: TEAM ARIZONA) also started from the back with his spare car.
But unlike the previous day, this time the pack got the green flag after only
one warmup lap. The start was equally exciting as the ASC/PT drivers gave the
spectators a good demonstration of "race car rubbing" into Turn 1. A lap
later, the rubbing turned into full contact wrestling as Steve Carvajal (#90
ASC: TEAM ARIZONA) and Jerry Brown (#22 ASC) tangled. Through the dust clouds
emerged Carvajal's car with it's rear bumper cover dangling in the wind like
a flag. Like a true hardcore racer, Carvajal elected to battle it out and
ignored repeated black flags to have his newly aquired "un-aerodynamic"
device removed. Unfortunately, this resulted in his eventual disqualification
later in the race.
Meanwhile, Thompson was quickly carving through the field, but matching every
one of his moves was Chris Siedentop (#55 PT: GAYLORD's) who also failed to
qualify. As both drivers charged towards the front of the pack, Siedentop
collected Tom Taber (#02 ASC: GA-RACING-USA), spinning both cars off the
track and allowing Thompson to get ahead.
Nearly 40 minutes after the race started, it was Thompson who took the
checkered flag, followed by Donn Cross (#41 PT: MB AUTO) who was limping
along with only 4th gear and a taped up ProTruck. And rounding out the podium
was Tim Wright (#7 PT: EAR GUARDS).

Sunday April 13:
1) #43 ASC Ross Thompson: Team Arizona- 1:39.970
2) #57 PT Jim Swartzbaugh: North South Machinery- 1:40.803
3) #00 PT Ed Fernandez: Pacific Builders- 1:41.174
4) #41 PT Donn Cross: MB Auto- 1:41.841
5) #7 PT Tim Wright: Ear Guards- 1:41.726
6) #33 PT Mark Cross: Cross Communities-1:41.272
7) #33 ASC Dave Arnheiter: Ideco Inc- 1:42.168
8) #99 ASC Ken Stinnett: Team Arizona- 1:41.511
9) #27 ASC Manuel Gil del Real: Team Arizona- 1:42.605
10) #22 ASC Jerry Brown- 1:44.331
11) #87 ASC Ed Ochylski: Team Arizona- 1:44.531
12) #55 PT Chris Siedentop: Gaylord's- 1:41.174
13) #27 PT Franz Klarer: Team EDM- 1:46.815
14) #02 ASC Tom Taber: GA Racing USA- 1:42.427 (DNF)
No result:
15) #106 ASC-X Justin Sallows: RealRide.com Racing- 1:43.040
16) #90 ASC Steve Carvajal: Team Arizona- (DQ)

The "ASC/PT Wars" move to Willow Springs Raceway in Rosamond, CA on May 24th
and 25th for the next round. The action promises to be intense as the drivers
look to improve their setup from their visit at this high speed circuit. For
more information about this series, visit the official ASC website at:
http://www.ascracing.com

AMERICAN STOCKCAR CHALLENGE (ASC) & PROTRUCKS (PT) PREPARE FOR ARIZONA
ASSAULT
by David Huang

Richmond, CA. April 7, 2003. With less than a week remaining before Round 3
of the "ASC/PT Wars", the National AutoSport Association (NASA) which
sanctions both series', reports that the ASC entry list is seeing a few new
names. As the series travels for the first time to the newly built Arizona
Motorsports Park, TEAM ARIZONA which fields the single largest roster of ASC
drivers will finally have an ASC race in their own backyard. April 12 and
13th should prove to be a weekend full of ground shaking excitement as these
V8 powered purpose-built racers rocket down the straightaways and through the
turns of this 2.25 mile twisty road racing circuit.

For most of the year, Team Arizona has shown their support of the series by
making the long trek to California which hosts most of the ASC races. And in
a gesture of thanks to TEAM ARIZONA, many California teams are planning to
make the trek to this neighboring state. "Their presence at the California
races has helped the ASC Series grow strong, and it's our turn to show them
our appreciation for their efforts" says Justin Sallows who drives for
REALRIDE.COM RACING, a Los Angeles, CA based team.

Because the track was only recently completed, many teams feel that there is
no real "home court" advantage as few, if any, of the ASC drivers, have even
turned a wheel at this facility. Speculation on setup and gear ratios has
become ever more important for many of the teams as even series points leader
Dave Arnheiter (Los Alamitos, CA) was unsuccessful in trying to arrange a
Friday test day by renting time from a club that had reserved the facility.

For rookie ASC drivers like Tom Taber (Ventura, CA), this will be a perfect
opportunity to earn their wings in this highly competitive series. Taber, who
previously raced a GT3S prepared 911 in various Porsche clubs, recently
purchased his ASC car and completed his first test day at Buttonwillow
Raceway. "These cars are surprisingly forgiving and have incredible torque
compared to my rear engined Porsche" says Taber. For his first ASC race,
Taber enlisted help from REALRIDE.COM RACING's Tim Spencer and Sean Murray.

As a testament to the close racing that the ASC and PT series' both are known
for, ProTruck added this event to their schedule in the last minute. Many of
the PT teams are scrambling to make this event and the PT entry list appears
to be growing daily. For Arizona race fans, the weekend of April 12th and
13th is not to be missed as the "ASC/PT Wars" are known for putting on the
best show around. Arizona race fans will also get to see ASC cars up close at
the Phoenix GrandAm race the following weekend as TEAM ARIZONA will have
several ASC cars on display in the paddock.
For more information about the ASC series, visit the official website at:
http://ascracing.com

ASC Entry List (Tentative):
1) #02 Tom Taber: GA Racing USA- (rookie) ASC
2) #03 Mike Arnheiter: 7's Only- ASC
3) #27 Manuel Gil del Real: Team Arizona- ASC
4) #33 Dave Arnheiter: Ideco Inc- ASC
5) #43 Ken Stinnett: Team Arizona- ASC
6) #55 Ed Ochylski: Team Arizona- ASC
7) #87 James O'Kane: Team Arizona- (rookie) ASC
8) #90 Steve Carvajal: Team Arizona- ASC
9) #99 Ross Thompson: Team Arizona- ASC
10) #06 Justin Sallows: RealRide Racing- ASC-X
11) Car # TBD: Chris Collett- ASC-X

PT Entry List (Tentative):
1) #00 Ed Fernandez: Pacific Builders
2) #7 Tim Wright: Ear Guards
3) #33 Mark Cross: Cross Communities
4) #41 Donn Cross: Cross Communities
5) #54 Nathan Swartzbaugh: Dunkel Brothers
6) #57 Jim Swartzbaugh: North South Machinery

AMERICAN STOCKCAR CHALLENGE (ASC) LAUNCHES ONLINE RACE VIDEO

Richmond, CA. Race fans who have Windows Media PlayerT capabilities on their
computer can now watch ASC racing action online. The National AutoSport
Association (NASA) which sanctions ASC, shot and edited this video so that
race fans all over can experience the excitement of this new series. The
video is available in the gallery at the ASC website:
http://www.ascracing.com

Or simply click here:
http://www.ascracing.com/albums/album01/aaa.wmv

ASC competitor Miguel Gil del Real has also created his own In-Car version at:
http://symbolicepc.com/filmdept/WSIR.html

AMERICAN STOCKCARS AND PROTRUCKS STORM CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY
By David Huang

more pictures from this event

California Speedway (Fontana, CA), March 8-9 2003. Every weekend, we turn on
our televisions to the familiar sight of a pack of stockcars or race trucks
racing around in circles at another super speedway. But on the weekend of
March 8-9, spectators at California Speedway were treated to a slight
variation of this theme. That's because it was Round Two for both the
American Stockcar Challenge (ASC) and the ProTruck (PT) Series. Both these
West Coast series run exclusively on road racing circuits, and at California
Speedway the ASC/PT drivers ran the professional sportscar circuit which
utilizes most of the speedway along with a twisty infield section.

SATURDAY March 8: Testing the previous day had already claimed a few victims
with a crash (Mike Arnheiter, ASC#03 SEVENS ONLY) and mechanical problems
(Steve Carvajal, ASC#90 TEAM ARIZONA), (Nick Joanides, ASC#87 TEAM ARIZONA).
But by morning warmup, ASC driver Ken Stinnett (ASC#43 TEAM ARIZONA) was the
man to beat by setting fastest lap times followed by qualifying on the pole.
Jim Swartzbaugh (PT#57 NORTH SOUTH MACHINERY) led the ProTruck contingent and
started next to Stinnett. And starting third was Donn Cross (PT#41 CROSS
COMMUNITIES).

As the pack charged by the green flag, spectators were captivated by the
ground shaking roar. A second behind, the two ASC-X cars running in
Exhibition Class charged by. ASC competitors had hoped that the ProTrucks
with their restricted gearing would be at a disadvantage down the long
straightaways. However, their lighter weight and narrower width proved to be
a greater asset and a few laps later, Mark Cross (PT#33 CROSS COMMUNITIES)
had charged to the lead with his cousin Donn running a close second.

Holding third and leading in ASC was Stinnett, but all attention was turned
towards an ASC-X car driven by Justin Sallows (ASC-X#06 REALRIDE.COM RACING)
that was carving through the field very quickly. By mid race, Sallows had
taken over the overall lead but repeated shortcuts through an infield chicane
earned him a Stop And Go penalty. When he rejoined the race, both trucks had
retaken the lead, holding off the ASC-X car to the checkered flag.

Finishing fourth overall and leading in ASC was Stinnett, followed by Dave
Arnheiter (ASC#33 IDECO) and Manuel Gil del Real (ASC#27 TEAM ARIZONA). Ed
Fernandez (PT#00 PACIFIC BUILDERS) finished 9th overall and third in
ProTrucks.
But it was the battle for eighth overall (and fourth in ASC) that was perhaps
the most exciting as returning ASC favorite Ed Ochylski (ASC#55 TEAM ARIZONA)
and Bill Blauvelt (ASC#44 REALRIDE.COM RACING) traded positions lap after lap
the entire 40 minute race. Ochylski eventually emerged ahead when Blauvelt
hit a tire wall in the infield.

Finishing order ASC/PT race: California Speedway- 3/8/03
1) #33 PT Mark Cross. Best Lap-1:47:442
2) #41 PT Donn Cross. Best Lap- 1:47.722
3) #06 ASC-X Justin Sallows. Best Lap-1:45.667
4) #43 ASC Ken Stinnett. Best Lap- 1:46.628
5) #44 ASC Dave Arnheiter. Best Lap- 1:49.420
6) #27 ASC Manuel Gil del Real. Best Lap- 1:48.865
7) #4 ASC-X Mike Kasser. Best Lap-1:49.481
8) #55 ASC Ed Ochylski. Best Lap-1:51.042
9) #00 PT Edward Fernandez. Best Lap-1:49.207
10) #7 PT Tim Wright. Best Lap-1:52.288
11) #27 PT Franz Klarer. Best Lap- 1:51.218
12) #92 PT Nathan Swartzbaugh. Best Lap-1:54.372 (DNF)
13) #25 PT Gary Fenn. Best Lap-2:00.238 (DNF)
14) #44 ASC Bill Blauvelt. Best Lap- 1:49.940 (DNF)
15) #99 ASC Mike Carson. Best Lap- 1:48.832 (DNF)
16) #57 PT Jim Swartzbaugh. Best Lap- 1:48.756 (DNF)
17) #87 ASC Nick Joanides. (DNS)
18) #90 ASC Steve Carvajal. (DNS)
19) #03 ASC Mike Arnheiter. (DNS)

SUNDAY March 9: Team Arizona controlled the top three starting positions with
Ken Stinnett (ASC#43 TEAM ARIZONA) on the pole, followed by Steve Carvajal
(ASC#90 TEAM ARIZONA) and Mike Carson (ASC#99 TEAM ARIZONA). Starting in
fourth and leading in ProTrucks was Jim Swartzbaugh (PT#57 NORTH SOUTH
MACHINERY). But it was during qualifying that the fastest lap of the weekend
(1:44.761) would be set by Justin Sallows (ASC-X#06 REALRIDE.COM RACING),
though he would have to start from the back with the other ASC-X entries
according to ASC rules.

Once again, the ASC/PT race was the weekend show stopper as the thunderous
roar from the pack of V8's echoed off the grandstands. Many had come
specifically to watch this race and they weren't disappointed. For the first
few laps, Team Arizona clearly had this race under control. Then an early
spin followed by a mechanical failure forced race leader Stinnett to retire.
This left Carvajal and Carson leading the race, both of whom were on fresh
tires after sitting out most of the previous day due to mechanical failures.
Chasing the Arizona duo a second behind were ProTruck drivers Swartzbaugh and
Donn Cross (PT#41 CROSS COMMUNITIES). A few seconds further back, Sallows was
carving through the rest of the field, once again, the additional horsepower
of his ASC-X car clearly showing an advantage on the long straightaways.

Meanwhile in the pack, a great battle was taking place for tenth between Dave
Arnheiter (ASC#33 IDECO) and Manuel Gil del Real (ASC#27 TEAM ARIZONA) as
each car seemed to be leading on every successive lap. Suddenly, a missed
shift caused Arnheiter to spin his clutch forcing him to coast into the pits.
A second behind, Bill Blauvelt (ASC#44 REALRIDE.COM RACING) was suffering
from a cracked brake rotor while trying to chase Tim Wright (PT#7 EAR GUARDS)
and hold off Franz Klarer (PT#27 TEAM EDM SHOP) at the same time.

When the checkered flag fell, it was Sallows crossing the line first.
Following in second and leading in ASC was Carson, while Swartzbaugh led
ProTrucks and rounded out the top three. Thirteen of the fifteen finishers
were on the same lap, yet another testament to the effectiveness of this spec
series' formula.

Finishing order ASC/PT race: California Speedway- 3/9/03
1) #06 ASC-X Justin Sallows. Best Lap-1:45:430
2) #99 ASC Mike Carson. Best Lap-1:46.341
3) #57 PT Jim Swartzbaugh. Best Lap-1:46.978
4) #41 PT Donn Cross. Best Lap-1:47.727
5) #90 ASC Steve Carvajal. Best Lap-1:47.011
6) #33 PT Mark Cross. Best Lap-1:47.533
7) #4 ASC-X Mike Kasser. Best Lap-1:48.234
8) #55 ASC Ed Ochylski. Best Lap-1:1:48.924
9) #00 PT Edward Fernandez. Best Lap-1:47.980
10) #27 ASC Manuel Gil del Real. Best Lap-1:49.090
11) #7 PT Tim Wright. Best Lap-1:49.049
12) #44 ASC Bill Blauvelt. Best Lap-1:50.429
13) #27 PT Franz Klarer. Best Lap-1:49.962
14) #9 PT Nathan Swartzbaugh. Best Lap-1:51.317
15) #25 PT Gary Fenn. Best Lap-2:02.018
16) #33 ASC David Arnheiter. Best Lap-1:48.310 (DNF)
17) #43 ASC Ken Stinnett. Best Lap-1:47.401
18) #87 ASC Nick Joanides. (DNS)
19) #03 ASC Mike Arnheiter. (DNS)

ABOUT ASC: The formula for ASC is very simple. Take a late model stockcar,
add a GM ZZ4 crate motor, spec Goodyear tires and head for the track.
ProTrucks are equally simple using the same powerplant on a race truck
chassis. The main objective behind the series is to offer a venue where
smaller budget teams can run these types of cars on road courses. And based
on past results, it seems to be a successful combination. The 2001 and 2002
champion Dave Brown won both seasons on the same powerplant with little more
than an oil change between events. And while the cars have significantly less
power than a typical NASCAR SouthWest Tour car, lap times have only been
about two seconds slower on most tracks. "That's because the cars are lighter
and the overall package is very well balanced" says Doug Davis, one of the
founders of the ASC series and owner of URACEIT.com a stockcar racing school
in Northern California. To attract new drivers, ASC officials also allow cars
from other series to run without complying to ASC spec in Exhibition (ASC-X)
class, though their finishes don't count towards championship points. So far,
drivers from a large variety of backgrounds have come to the series. The
ASC/PT grid is made up of drivers from series such as: ASA, Winston West,
FIA, SCCA, NASCAR's SouthWest and Northwest Tour, Porsche and Viper club
racing, and even karting. For spectators, the combination makes for some of
the closest racing around as most cars typically finish on the same lap in
the 40 minute races. For more information about ASC, visit the official
website at: http://ascracing.com

AMERICAN STOCKCAR CHALLENGE AND PROTRUCKS GEAR UP FOR FONTANA
By David Huang

Richmond, CA. Immediately after Round One of the American Stockcar Challenge
(ASC) and ProTruck (PT) Series, discussions between the teams and officials
were nonstop. The most prevalent topic among the ASC teams was over the tire
rules. Several teams had expressed concerns about excessive tire wear during
the first round at Willow Springs Raceway. Their push to lift the tire limit
rule was rejected by ASC officials who ruled that allowing more tires would
drive up the cost, falling against the mission of ASC. This decision was
verified by Goodyear Tire technicians who determined that the excessive wear
was due to setup.

Round Two of the ASC/PT Championship will take place on March 7-8 at the
California Speedway in Fontana, CA. The professional sportscar configuration
which utilizes more than half of the speedway as well as the infield will be
run. For most ASC teams, this event will prove to be a good equalizer as few
of the drivers have run this circuit. The only ASC driver who has experience
in this configuration is Tucson Arizona's Ken Stinnett (ASC #43). In mid
February, Stinnett took advantage of an SCCA clubrace that ran this
configuration by entering his ASC car in GT1. Not surprisingly, he did well,
finishing first overall before getting disqualified for being about 70lbs
underweight.

Unlike ASC cars that are free to change gearing for the long straightaway,
the ProTrucks are required to run fixed gearing. Having run this circuit
previously, Donn Cross (PT #41) claimed to hit redline before Turn One. For
spectators following the ASC/PT battles, this will prove to be one of the
more exciting races of the year as the narrower and lighter ProTrucks will
have the advantage in the tighter infield sections, especially with fresh
tires both days, while the ASC cars will be able to stretch their legs but
forced to run on the same tires both days.

With less than a week remaining before Round Two, the ASC/PT entry list
continues to grow:

ASC Entry List
1) #03 Mike Arnheiter
2) #06 Justin Sallows (ASC-X)
3) #27 Manuel Gil Del Real
4) #33 Dave Arnheiter
5) #43 Ken Stinnett
6) #44 Bill Blauvelt
7) #55 Ed Ochylski
8) #90 Steve Carvajal
9) #99 Mike Carson

PT Entry List
1) #00 Ed Fernandez
2) #7 Tim Wright
3) #9 Peter Dunkel
4) #25 Gary Fenn
5) #27 Franz Klarer
6) #33 Mark Cross
7) #41 Donn Cross
8) #50 Ed Fernandez
9) #54 Larry Dunkel
10) #57 Jim Swartzbaugh

STOCKCARS AND TRUCKS RETURN TO WILLOW SPRINGS RACEWAY
By David Huang

Rosamond, CA. The sight and sound of over 20 ASC cars and Protrucks (PT)
screaming down the front straightaway was enough to stop all pitside activity
throughout Willow Springs Raceway on the weekend of February 8th and 9th. For
weeks leading up to this first round of the 2003 ASC/PT Race Schedule,
competitors and spectators alike had been anxiously waiting for the close
ontrack battles that has become a trademark of this series. And judging by
the reactions of those in the grandstands, they weren't disappointed.

Saturday February 8th: Testing on Friday paid off for Arizona's Sundance
Racing as two of their cars took the top podium spots in ASC. Ken Stinnett
(Tucson, AZ- #43 ASC Sundance Racing Chevy Monte Carlo) easily had the ASC
field covered and started on the pole with a qualifying time of 1:25:330. But
early in the race, Donn Cross (#41 PT) who started on the outside front row,
jumped into the lead and ran away from the pack. Cross appeared to have the
race in the bag until a mid race spin enabled the hard charging Stinnett to
retake the lead. Finishing second overall was Mike Kasser (#4 ASC-X Chevy
Monte Carlo), followed by Jim Swartzbaugh (#57 PT) who won Protruck.
Elsewhere in the field, Bill Blauvelt (New Jersey- #44 RealRide.com Racing
Chevy Monte Carlo) driving his first ASC race climbed from 16th to 11th until
a steering component failure causing him to exit Turn One at nearly 100mph.
While re-entering the track, the car suffered additional damage causing it to
retire for the weekend, but not without first showing it's potential in only
it's second ASC race.

Race A (Feb 8) Finishing Order
1) #43/ASC Ken Stinnett, Best Race Lap: 1:26:620
2) #4/ASC-X Mike Kasser, Best Race Lap: 1:26:681
3) #57/PT (1st) Jim Swartzbaugh, Best Race Lap: 1:26:507
4) #33/PT (2nd) Mark Cross, Best Race Lap: 1:27:785
5) #00/PT (3rd) Edward Fernandez, Best Race Lap: 1:27:486
6) #99/ASC (2nd) Steve Carvajal, Best Race Lap: 1:27:967
7) #33/ASC (3rd) Dave Arnheiter, Best Race Lap: 1:28:504
8) #57/ASC-X Nelson Garrisol, Best Race Lap: 1:28:722
9) #54/PT Nathan Swartzbaugh, Best Race Lap: 1:29:346
10) #27/PT Franz Klarer, Best Race Lap: 1:29:346
11) #03/ASC Michael Arnheiter, Best Race Lap: 1:28:799
12) #15X/ASC-X Al Balding Jr., Best Race Lap: 1:29:578
13) #5/ASC Alan Huston, Best Race Lap: 1:30:944
14) #27/ASC Manuel Gil Del Rios, Best Race Lap: 1:29:288
15) #15/ASC Scott Rueschenberg, Best Race Lap: 1:30:034
16) #25/PT Gary Fenn, Best Race Lap: 1:37:599
17) #44/ASC Bill Blauvelt, Best Race Lap: 1:23:970 (DNF- mechanical)
18) #41/PT Donn Cross, Best Race Lap: 1:27:948
19) #22/ASC Jerry Brown, Best Race Lap: 1:30:393 (DNF- mechanical)
20) #7/PT Tim Wright, Best Race Lap: 1:31:382

Sunday February 9th: The great "Truck Massacre" took place as ProTrucks
stomped on the ASC cars. Despite starting from the pole, Stinnett's tires
corded early and by lap five, had fallen victim to Ed Fernandez (#00 PT). The
ASC spec Goodyear tires seemed to be a problem as the cars slowly fell victim
to the trucks which run on Hoosiers. The pack soon split into two seperate
groups with the trucks in the first led by Fernandez, Mark Cross (#33 PT),
Jim Swartzbaugh (#57 PT) and Don Cross (#41). The only car to break into this
Protruck stranglehold was Al Balding Jr (#15X) in his ASC-X Ford Mustang.
Spectators were treated to an exciting show as the cars and trucks battled
each other through every corner of the 2.5 mile road course. At mid-race, a
very high speed incident at Turn Nine involving Nathan Swartzbaugh (#54 PT)
had everybody holding their breath until the dust settled and he emerged
unhurt, once again a testament to the safety of these tube-frame racers.
Leading in the ASC battle was Scott Rueschenberg (Mesa, AZ- #15 ASC Chevy
Monte Carlo) followed by Steve Carvajal (Anthony, NM- #99 ASC Sundance Racing
Chevy Monte Carlo), Nelson Garrison (AZ- #57 ASC-X Chevy Monte Carlo) and
Manuel Gil Del Real (AZ- #27 ASC Ford Taurus) who were all busy in a pack
battling tooth and nail throughout the entire race. A second behind, the
Arnheiter brothers demonstrated sibling rivalry at it's best on the race
track. Mike Arnheiter (Los Alamitos, CA- #03 ASC Buick Regal) spent most of
the race hounding younger brother Dave (Los Alamitos, CA- #33 ASC Ford
Thunderbird) until the second last lap when they came upon Stinnett's
struggling car. Coming out of Turn Nine, the ASC cars drag raced three
abreast into Turn One where the older Arnheiter was able to use momentum and
traffic to emerge in front. As a final payback, younger brother Dave was
reinstated in third as Mike was disqualified at the post-race impound scales.
But perhaps the most telling sign of how close the racing was came at the
checquered flag when almost all the cars finished on the same lap, still
tightly bunched. In the end, it was Rueschenberg who crossed the finish line
first in ASC, with Carvajal a close second. However, in post race impound,
Rueschenberg was disqualified for running on unmarked tires, giving Carvajal
his first ASC win.

Race B (Feb 9) Finishing Order
1) #00/PT Edward Fernandez, Best Race Lap: 1:26:952
2) #33/PT (2nd) Mark Cross, Best Race Lap: 1:26:885
3) #57/PT (3rd) Jim Swartzbaugh, Best Race Lap: 1:27:135
4) #41/PT Donn Cross, Best Race Lap: 1:26:417
5) #15X/ASC-X Al Balding Jr., Best Race Lap: 1:26:874
6) #7/PT Tim Wright, Best Race Lap: 1:27:412
7) #4/ASC-X Mike Kasser, Best Race Lap: 1:26:489
8) #99/ASC (1st) Steve Carvajal, Best Race Lap: 1:27:024
9) #57/ASC-X Nelson Garrisol, Best Race Lap: 1:27:882
10) #27/ASC (2nd) Manuel Gil Del Real, Best Race Lap: 1:28:097
11) #33/ASC (3rd) David Arnheiter, Best Race Lap: 1:28:936
12) #27/PT Franz Klarer, Best Race Lap: 1:30:507
13) #43/ASC Ken Stinnett, Best Race Lap: 1:26:894
14) #5/ASC Alan Huston, Best Race Lap: 1:31:714
15) #25/PT Gary Fenn, Best Race Lap: 1:33:541
16) #54/PT Nathan Swartzbaugh, Best Race Lap: 1:27:792 (DNF- accident)
17) #22/ASC Jerry Brown, Best Race Lap: 3:07:944 (DNF- mechanical)
18) #15/ASC Scott Rueschenberg, Best Race Lap: 1:25:642 (DQ- illegal tires)
19) #03/ASC Michael Arnheiter, Best Race Lap: 1:29:016 (DQ- underweight)
20) #44/ASC Bill Blauvelt, No Time (DNS- mechanical)

Round two of the "ASC/PT Wars" will be on March 7-9 at California Speedway in
Fontana, CA where the trucks and cars will be running the professional
sportscar oval/infield circuit. For more information about ASC, visit the
website at: http://www.ascracing.com

The 2003 American Stockcar Challenge will hold twenty races over ten weekends
this season. The best eighteen finishes count towards the season long
Championship.

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