Greg's VW is proud to be an active Sponsor of a group of dedicated motorsports enthusiasts. Together we have formed a race team known as, "Bad Dog Racing". Based in Northern California, we have built racecars and successfully competed at many venues throughout California and neighboring states. Since it's inception over 10 years ago, Bad Dog Racing has aquired a number of Championship titles. The Team's efforts have brought it to the forefront in many catagories of motorsports
We are not a start-up or novice group of competitors. We are a team with a foundation of seasoned racers. We have been together for a number of years. We are highly visible at each event. Our Drivers and Crew are well groomed and have a very professional appearance. Our team is always looking sharp, as well as being fast. Our tools and pit equipment are in good order and well maintained. Our pit crew members are friendly and knowledgeable. The number of our pit crew members rival that of the finest NASCAR teams. Other competitors often look to us for help, and information. Whether it be to borrow tools, parts, or manpower, we assist in any capacity. Our group is envied and respected among our peers.
Whenever possible, we communicate our efforts and adventures to the local Media. Members of our team have appeared on network and cable television. Our Racecars have been seen on Prime Time news highlights (ABC KXTV-10). Driver profiles have been the focus of Spotlight interviews (TNN Motor Madness). Speedvision has captured images of the Bad Dog Racing Team dominating "The Battle of the Imports", recently held at Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield.
The Bad Dog Racing Drivers have quickly risen to the top ranks of the NASA Pro-VW Drag Racing Series. The year 2000 proved to be highly successful with wins in five out of six races. The 2001 year brought a second "Rookie of the Year" Title, along with many top 5 finishes. In 2002 BDR captured it's first Championship in the NASA Pro-Vw Drag Racing Series. The year 2003 and beyond promise to be exciting and victorious, as the team continues to be perennial championship contenders. Our success strives from a brilliant aptitude for racing, expert technical abilities, and strong support from family, friends, and first-class sponsors.
We have developed this web page to post events, results, and driver standings. Updates are performed on a regular basis to keep information fresh and current. Our performances for the 1999-2002 seasons are well documented. Our team is well established and consistent. Our drivers are accomplished, determined, focused, and will continue to demonstrate the ability to win Championshipsl. We pledge to improve and impress in the 2003 Season. Follow our progress as we compete in the NASA VW Drag Racing Series.
Contact us at baddogracing@gregsvw.com
Drag Day Adventure
The 7 1/2 hour drive didn't seem so exhausting as we crested the top of the
"Grapevine" and coasted into the LA basin. Los
Angeles....the place where dreams are realized or broken, and the Mecca of all
things Volkswagen. The glow of city lights
unfolded before us and lit up the moonless night. We were soon enveloped within
the lights of the cities. We drove the long
miles and were forced to flip thru radio stations as the signals faded. As we
approached LA I found the signal of KLOS....the
smooth and exotic sounds of Santana flowed from the stereo.
There's something about late night radio, a certain connection is made causing
your senses to come alive while the rest of the
world slumbers.
The tunes put us at ease, and excitement raced through our veins as we neared
our destination. Although still early in the
morning (3am), the night air was unusually quite and still. Little did we know
an unforgettable adventure had already begun.
As we approached the home of Jason's Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Cecil in the city
of Upland, I noticed an erie orange glow coming from the surrounding hills.
With each turn we seemed to drive closer to the origin of the erie light. As
we rounded another curve there out in front of us was the leading edge of the
San Bernadino fire. Ash was dropping upon us as we pulled up to the the air
with the scent of a warm campfire. Rick discovered that the banging noise he
was listening to for the last few hours of the trip was not the loading ramps
off his trailer, but the fender on the drivers side. We would take a closer
look at it in the morning.We were greeted by our host and then turned in for
the evening.
We didn't sleep much that night but not knowing what time it was, we waited
for the sun to break through to signal the arrival of
morning. Suddenly there was a knock at the door, it was Jason asking us if we
were ever gonna get up. It was after 11am.
Shocked to hear this I opened the curtains and looked out to see a sky so choked
with smoke it blocked out the Sun. The Grand Prix Fire had ragged out of control
all night fanned by the Santa Ana winds. Off in the distance you could hear
the roar of chainsaws and the sound of an occasional Helicopter. Ash covered
everything in sight.
TV and Radio reported ongoing changes as the Santa Anna winds whipped the flames
into every direction. Conditions changed by the minute. Roads were being closed
and evacuations had started in many areas. We started to wonder if the race
would be
canceled.
After a delicious breakfast we started to plan out the rest of the day. We secured
the trailer fender with what we had. As the fire situation became more critical
it was decided that we pack up and take everything with us not knowing if we
would be allowed back into the area. Jason set the GPS for the address of Scott
Bakken, we said our good-byes wishing our hosts to "Be Safe", and
we were off.
We soon pulled up to Scott's home located in a beautiful part of Glendora, parking
was easy and plentiful. We were warmly
greeted and quickly helped ourselves to the bounty of food spread out before
us. We spent hours talking with some of the top
names in VW drag racing, watched some racing movies, and just plain had a good
ole time! Everyone there shared with us their
experiences at Irwindale. Before the end of the night we knew about the characteristics
of the track, and what to expect on race day. After getting some quick directions
to the hotel row, we bid our gracious hosts good evening. We left the party
with big smiles, and new friends. We hope to be invited back to next years Drag
Day party.
We drove along the row of Hotels only to see No Vacancy lit up on the signboards.
Desperate for a place to stay we stopped at the first place we found with a
vacancy. It was in the rough part of town, but hey the choices were getting
slim. When Jason
asked for a room for three and the desk clerk responded "3 hours?",
we should have gotten a clue. Nonetheless, we took what
was available and looked for parking. Since there was no trailer parking, we
had to park the trailers into a stall, separate and park the trucks along side.
Not an easy task with limited room, but we made it happen.
Up early the next morning we were shocked to find 2 tires on Jason's F-150 were
flat. Closer inspection revealed sidewall
punctures by an icepick. We checked Racecars, trailers, and the other tow vehicles
for additional damage. Everything else
seemed fine. We quickly filled the tires from our airtanks, hooked up the trailers
and left promptly. Although we were very upset with this cowardly act of vandalism,
we were thankful further damage was not inflicted.
We found our way to the track in Irwindale and fell into line. After a short
wait we were in setting up our pits, and waiting in the
Tech area. While waiting to clear tech we struck up many conversations with
the other racers. I'll tell ya....you'd be hard pressed to find another group
of friendly, helpful and knowledgeable people. As always our racecars passed
tech without any concerns.
We visited with many well wishers and often repeated the story as to why Jason's
truck was sitting on the rims. Many offered to help us out and I'd like to offer
our sincerest thanks to all that pitched in to get us back on the road at the
end of the day.
At the Drivers meeting I was able to get a first hand look at the sketchy jumble
of bumps, cracks and dips that make up the 1/8
track at Irwindale. The starting line area was just as described by the many
racers we spoke with at the pre-race party...Very
sticky! As the day went on, there were a handful of racers that experienced
transaxle failures from the mega-traction Irwindale is famous for. Rick wowed
the crowd with sky high wheelies the buggy has become famous for. With the small
turnout we were able to make 4 practice runs.
During practice the Drag Buggy suffered a failure at the pedal assembly. We
made a hasty repair and hoped it would hold up.
After two more runs we re-inspected and made additional adjustments to the pedal
and linkage assembly. We ended up in our
own unique classes eliminating the possibility of us having to race one another.
Jason entered the Bus Class, Rick in bracket
T-3 and myself in T-2.
At the end of 2 rounds of eliminations Rick was unable to stage the buggy for
the next round as the pedal assembly failed
again. Tough brake for Rick who finished his day in the quarter finals. I was
the lucky recipient of a bye run in round 3, but my day ended in the semifinals
with a breakout loss.
Jason was the highest finisher from our team and received his first trophy with
a Runner-up in the Bus class.
We watched some of the most exciting racing we have seen in a long time with
match-ups of some of the best in VW drag racing.
The Top Eliminator rounds were the highlight of the day. The final race of the
day with "Flawless Lawless" vs. "The Sugarman"
was as good as it gets. A big cheer from the crowd went up as the win light
was lit for Mike Lawless. We stayed around for the awards ceremony, then packed
up for the long drive home. Several volunteers were on hand to help us out with
the flat tire
dilemma. With no other options Jason decided to stay another evening and would
buy tires the next day. We installed his spare
and filled the second tire with fix-a-flat. Hoping for the best he was off to
find a place to stay for the evening.
Rick and myself hit the road only to find crowded highways from traffic diverted
from roadways closed by the advancing fires. With the time change and the smoke
filled skies darkness fell quickly. It felt like we were driving through a tunnel
of smoke. In many areas we had to slow for the lack of visibility as smoke blew
across the road. Most of the way you could not see past the edge of the roadway.
As we passed by Magic Mountain you could see a ring of fire surrounding the
park. Fire burned along the adjacent hills for much of the drive leaving LA.
Long convoys of fire trucks were seen headed towards the fire plagued areas.
As we got closer to our destination, we started to relax a bit more.
We stopped to rest and eat, and just as we started to feel at ease we noticed
Rick's rear tire losing air. Yeah, you guessed it....another target of the ice
pick vandal. For some reason his tire was better at holding air. We installed
the spare and finally made it home.
Looking back we wished we would have had a better overall showing at Drag Day.
Despite all the setbacks we had a great time and will plan to attend as many
Drag Day events as possible. It was quite the adventure.
In closing we offer our most heartfelt sympathies to those that have suffered
losses from the devastating fires. We hope our new
friends, their families, and loved ones are safe and well.
Bug-O-Rama
With the great weather, enormous crowds and fast paced thrilling action this
weekend had everything you'd expect from a
Bug-O-Rama. This kind of event is a perfect showcase for Bad Dog Racing.
Led by our number one driver and rising star, Lynn Urrutia dominated the Trophy
Class at Bug-O-Rama 52 making this
Labor Day weekend one to remember. This is Lynn's first BOR win, and adds to
an impressive list of wins and top 3
finishes since she started racing 2 years ago. Currently second in points in
the NASA Series, Lynn is well on her way to
challenge for and has a great shot at the Championship. This win will continue
to build on the momentum she has started
early this season. With the right balance of skill, confidence, and aggresiveness,
Lynn has proven herself as an
awesome driver and a class act.
Teammates Greg Urrutia finished Runner-up in Sportsman Class, Gloria DeLeon
semi-finals in Trophy, and Rick DeLeon
Semi-finals in Pro-Eliminator.
Our Labor Day weekend started with a warm welcome for Simon Rameriz, and Ed
Hernandez, who made the trip from
southern California to join us for the big weekend. Also in the house to help
out as a new crew member is our friend Don
Overacker.
Back from vacationing abroad is Brian Gomez. Brian has ventured across many
countries over the past few months
enjoying a vacation of a life time with his family. His son Calvin joins us
for the first time helping dad blow the cob webs off
the Greg's VW sponsored Pro-Eliminator Racecar. It was been about 3 months since
this racecar has been to the track.
Jason with the ever popular "DragBus" is also with us to battle for
cash and trophys.
Friday evening we head-out to the track to secure a prime pit location. We shake
hands with old friends and watch some
of the faster, record setting racers take some practice runs.
Saturday morning we are back at the front gate being greeted by the track officials
as if we were closest of kin. We have
found and embrace a warm relationship with track officials and crew. We were
lucky to find fellow NASA Racers Wayne
Axford and family, as well as the Team from W5R pitting next to us. Always good
to have well equipped and accomplished
racers sharing pit area with you.
Greg and Gloria have agreed to switch racecars for Saturdays Test-N-Tune. Adjustments
are made to fit each driver to
the car, and we are off to make a series of passes. Greg enjoys some seat time
in Gloria's "Tigger" Drag Buggy as it
launches and reaches for the sky doing some of the highest wheelies ever seen
from a VW powered racecar. One
spectator watching closely reported back to us that the car was actually up
on one wheel during one of the launches. We
took many pictures to post on our website. The wheelie exibition did not go
unnoticed by the officials, and Greg was
warned to "Cool It or Else!". So after 6 runs in the Drag Buggy, we
called it a night.
Gloria had fun in Greg's Drag Car feeling the rush of being pressed back into
the drivers seat and running her fastest
numbers ever. One of the fun perks of having such a large Race Team is the number
of cars at your disposal. Jason,
Lynn, and Brian logged in a number of test runs dialing their cars in for race
day. We made some light tuning
adjustments to the DragBus with favorable results. Jason sets a personal best
for himself with fastest mph and et.
Satisfied with out testing session we head back to the Racehouse to prep for
Sundays big race.
Off to the races.
We rise early and pack essentials. Race days are always the busiest for the
drivers. Last minute adjustments, running for
race gas, and fixing the unexpected broken part all wiegh heavy on a drivers
mind. With a smaller than usual field of
racecars we get 2 practice runs before eliminations.
As luck (and skill) would have it, all BDR drivers win their first round and
advance on in their respective catagories.
Greg's VW sponsored Pro-Eliminator driver Brian Gomez was glad to be back in
the win column. He had the support of so
many friends, fans and family behind him, but it made it all the more difficult
when he was ousted in the second round.
Brian always does well at BOR, and this is a race he really wanted to win. He
will regroup and focus on the next race.
Jason returns in the second round only to lose a close race at the top end.
Concerned about the new found speed and
power Jason shorts shifts into 4th gear only to come up a tad short. Although
he hoped for a better finish, he couldn't
have asked for a better performing engine. This event for him can only be logged
as a huge success.
Remaining team members Lynn, Gloria, Rick, and Greg all score victories in the
second round and the quarter finals to
advance into the Semi-finals.
As the line of competitors thins out, we find ourselves trying to separate from
one another. As luck would have it, one
racer separating Lynn and Gloria is overwhelmed by having to race one of the
BDR women and pulls out of competion.
This leaves the match up of Dog vs. Dog with Lynn taking a hard earned and bittersweet
win against Gloria. Rick will end
his day with close loss in the Semi-finals, but will take home a check for $150.00
for his late round finish. Greg wins his
round of elimination and will go on to race in the final round.
Husband and wife Greg and Lynn return to the staging lanes to race in the final
round. Greg breaks-out in a close loss.
Lynn will take the win in her final round.
For their final final round appearances, Lynn will take home the Winner's Trophy
for besting the Trophy Class. Greg will
bank a check for $200.00 and carry home a plaque for his Runner-up performance.
All in all a great outing for the team of Bad Dog Racing.
Rookie Battle Takes Shape....
April 18, 2003
Getting an early start on this Easter weekend and hoping to spend sometime tweaking
on Gloria's "Tigger" Drag Buggy,
Greg and Brian head up to the Racehouse. Like so many others trying to get out
of town, traffic became an obstacle for
us. Once at the Race Shop we got busy tuning and adjusting the Racecar. A couple
of runs up and down Sheldon Road
and we think we got. Apparently the Tachometer we chose for the Buggy was causing
ignition problems at top end. We
wrap it up for the evening and enjoy a wonderful Fresh Crab Dinner that Lynn
put together for us. Team members Rick,
Gloria, and defending race winner Ricky Jr. arrive during the evening.
A beautiful sunrise finds us preping and packing anxious to get to the track.
Rick takes a last run in the Drag Buggy to
check performance before we load it onto the Car Carrier. All smiles we head
out to the raceway. Over 200 Racecars are
in attendance for the days event.
The Track has sponsored an Easter Egg Hunt, hiding over 600 eggs in the Oval
Track area. All kids are invited to search
for prized eggs containing candy, gifts, and special prizes.
Notes are taken as Tech is using NHRA guidelines for rollcage specs. All Racecars
clear, with recommendations made to
some NASA Racers.
We welcome another newcomer to the NASA Series. Gary Rosa made the long trek
from Sparks, Neveda to join the field.
Gary increases the Rookie count to 6. He debuts a beautiful 65 Sedan featuring
a 2332cc CB Performance Fuel Injected
engine. The motor is plumbed for NOS, and is running full MSD ignition. More
on this sweet ride as it's performance is
realized.
After a couple of rounds of practice, the Racecar Gremlins re-appear. Gloria's
Drag Buggy continues to be difficult as
the performance of the new Racecar wavers. Chris Brown is seen in the pits replacing
a complete ignition system in the
tribal-flamed Notchback. Once again Jerry Matsko is hit with "Hard Luck"
as his 9 second Pro-Mod refuses to fire. After
extensive testing and running, for some reason his Racecar continues to be tempermental.
We know Jerry will be one of
the toughest competitors in the field once he clears the Racecar woes.
In The Drivers meeting Director Tom Simon announces yet another Sponsor has
climbed aboard. Phoenix Tire has
stepped up to provide prizes and discounts for the NASA Racers. Two pairs of
Racing Tires are up for grabs. The first
set will be awarded to the Runner-Up finsher at the Double-Points Race slated
for July 26th. The second set will be
raffled off at the Awards Banquet scheduled in January of 2004. The Top Ten
finishers will all get a chance to win the
second set.
Rick Jr. is the Bounty Hunter target, car count is 19, and 18 will pull numbers
to race.
First pair to match-up are BDR teamates of Greg Urrutia and defending race
winner Rick DeLeon Jr. Tough break for
Ricky as he goes Red handing the win and the Bounty Hunter bucks to Greg.
Runner-up from last race Shannon Sorlie loses a close race to points leader
Bob Moshier, but not before posting a .529
reaction time that will stand throughout the day giving her 20 bonus points.
"Desert Dog" Rick Deleon wins the Husband/Wife match-up against Gloria
as her Drag Buggy fails to perform. We will
test extensively on this Racecar and get the problems ironed out before Bug-O-Rama
51 for Gloria to defend her Trophy
Class win.
We provided some needed hardware to Wayne Axford to make some repairs on his
Drag Sedan before his match up with
Tom Simon. Despite all his efforts, Wayne loses a close one to Tom who lays
down a great run with a .562 light.
Michael Meyer posts a respectable .557 light, but breaks out against the 10
second Turbo Drag Car of Matt Davis.
Next pair of Racers are both out for the first time this year. Past champion
Tony DeAnda (BDR) wins in a double
break-out race against newcomer Gary Rosa. Watch for Gary to lay down some impresive
numbers as he gets more seat
time.
First ever double Red-Light finds rookie Cliff Witham get a win over winner
of Race 1 Lynn Urrutia. Although Cliff's light
was "Redder", first foul loses. Lynn will still find herself near
the top of the points chase at day's end.
"Speed Dog" cuts a .560 light against Rick O'liver and advances onto
round two.
Chris Brown has finished repairs to the Notch in time for eliminations only
to run too fast. Chris runs a 11.85 (on the
brakes!) on a 11.95 dial-in giving the win to Rookie points leader Erik "The
Red" Ormosen.
Round two awards Greg with a bye to advance on.
Bob Moshier advances on with a win over Rick "Desert Dog" DeLeon.
In the battle of the two fastest Racecars, Tom Simon gets another win against
Matt Davis.
Cliff Witham finds a win light once again in a match up against the always tough
Tony DeAnda.
Eric Ormosen is set to race Brian Gomez. To Eric's surprise, his Ghia chugs
to a halt as he rounds the corner to the
staging lanes. A quick check finds a dry gas tank (gasp!). We bring the circimstance
to the attention of Race Director
Tom Simon and he is able to stall the lane officials for a few moments. In another
show of good sportsmanship, Greg
(with the bye run) pulls out of the staging lanes and hurrys back to the pits
to retrieve some pump gas for Eric. The tank
is splashed, the Ghia fires....Game On!
Luck has to be with Eric as he wins a double break-out against Brian Gomez.
Brian was hard on the brakes but it was not
enough as he runs a 12.77 on a 13.0 dial-in.
Bob Moshier gets the Bye for round 3.
Greg loses a close one against Tom Simon.
Next pair finds a battle of the Rookie's. "Erik the Red" stages opposite
of Cliff Witham. Always great to see new racers
finding their way into the late rounds. The day ends for Eric, and Cliff steps
up to go against Bob Moshier in the Semi
Finals.
Just when Tom Simon seems unstoppable getting the bye run into the finals,
stopped he is by track officials. The officials
put the "Ky-bosh" on Tom's bye run and hold him in the staging area
to meet the winner of Witham vs. Moshier. Tough
break for Simon Racing as he is stripped of the opportunity to challenge the
tree and a free crack at winning the points
for "Best Light of the Day".
The day gets better and better for Cliff Witham. Although the track was checked
for oil after Cliffs last run, a check in the
pits finds him making quick last minute adjustments. The Team from Bad Dog Racing
once again comes to the aid of a
Racer in need providing him with some much needed oil allowing him to continue
on. He seems to be in the "Zone" with
his Drag Buggy as he gets another win light against Bob Moshier. Cliff has found
the right combination, and advances
into the Trophy Round.
Although Easter is tommorrow and many racers have other commitments, it's the
last race of the day....all eyes are on
the grand finale.
Rookie Phoenom vs. Seasoned Pro Racer.
It's Mega-Sponsored, Max-Powered, Multi-Winner Tom Simon (Favorite), against
Cliff Witham (Underdog), the Privateer
in his first ever final round appearance . Cliff has already had an incredible
day. Despite the distraction of having to care
for his 2 young children, and making needed repairs before this finale, he is
focused and ready.
The race was close, but in the end it was all Simon Racing. Tom Simon has practically
made this racing season a full time
job. Leading up to this race he has been racing the clock making needed repairs
and adjustments to allow him to
compete not only in NASA, but also PRA, NHRA, and Pro-Import Drag Racing Events.
He has traveled many miles up and
down the state of California, Arizona, and Neveda to fulfill the demanding commitment.
We are all very fortunate to have
such a fierce, yet fair competitor to double as our Race Director.
Congratulations Tom! Your drive and determination has paid off once again. Tom
is the third person to sport double
Winner Stickers, has points from this win to put him in sole position of second
place, and we are sure he will replenish his
racing fund with the monies won in the Jack-Pot.
Also Honors and Accolades go out to Cliff Witham with his first Trophy for an
outstanding Runner-Up finish. Cliff moves
into a tie for Rookie of the Year points with Eric Ormosen.
The Nasa Series....VW Drag Racing at it's finest!
Next NASA Race Saturday, June 21st.
The Bad Dogs will be very visible at BOR 51, Memorial Day Weekend.
We will be defending Wins in Sportsman, Trophy Class, and making another strong
challenge in Pro-Eleminator.
See Ya in the Winners Circle!
Once again the Racers from the NASA Series perform well against the best Racers
in the VW Drag Racing World.
Sacramento Raceway started off providing a clean and fast racing surface that
allowed some record setting runs on
Friday night's Test-N-Tune. The air was still, and the night was cool. The gang
from VW Paradise clicked off their fastest
run ever @ 201mph! Immediately following them, the Esserini's logged in one
of their fastest @ 161mph. Doug Harvey
was running consistent 8sec et's in his Super Quick Fastback all weekend long.
There was a large number of Racers from the NASA Series ready to challenge for
Cash and Prizes in just about every
catagory. It was great to see Jerry Matsko in his Pro-Mod making some high powered
runs in his 9sec Turbo Sedan.
Saturday the track conditions started to change and there were some hair raising
passes by some of the faster cars.
Late in practice Matt Davis laid down a pass of 10.901, sure to have been the
fastest qualifying run in his 10.90 index,
but it was only a practice run. He continued to lay down some blistering passes
that were way to fast for his index.
Qualifying started late in the day for the feature classes. Chirs Brown ended
up as the number one qualifier in his 11.90
class. Micheal Meyer was right behind him in the same "Heads-Up" class
running a .400 Pro-Light. A fine showing by
these regulars in the NASA Series. Jerry Matsko had the fans on their feet with
a scary ride as his Racecar lost traction on the greasy surface. His superb
driving kept the car off the guardrail, and in his own lane. He had a handfull
of car, but kept his cool and went on to race the rest of the weekend.
Sunday was a day none of us will ever forget. Our fellow NASA Racer and good
friend Matt Davis survived a violent
crash.
Fisrt of all....MATT IS OK!
I was kidding with Matt that he needed to slow his car down since Friday Nights
TNT. Matt was runing
consistent mid 10sec passes. Matt was running way too fast for the 10.90 index.
It was in the third round of qualifying that the mis-hap took place. Matt was
in the right lane, I was
standing about 3/4 track. Matt was last to run and by sheer luck was on a solo
pass. Although he had a
less than normal launch, he was on a good clean run. The car was very straight,
and you could tell he was
on a strong pass.
He went through the lights at 10.98 @117 mph. Once he crossed the trap the Racecar
went hard left,
exploding into pieces as it tumbled and rolled on the guard rail on the left
side of the track. Parts were
scattered for 100 yards. The Safety Crew at Sacramento Raceway were scrambling
before the car came to a
rest on the passenger side.
I re-call the car rolling 4 times, and it did 2 full twist on the nose, I'm
sure the video will be critically
analyzed.
It was a Bad Wreck....I did not expect Matt to emerge from the smoldering wreckage
unassisted.
After a few heart pounding moments, Matt was seen crawling from the wreckage.
He later told me he kicked
out the lexan windhield to escape. Other than smacking his knee against the
roll-cage, he seemed
unscathed.
I have seen a number of crashes. Some almost seem like they happen in slow motion
as a car takes to the
air, almost floating as it re-enters the crash.
Not in this case!
From initial impact everything about this crash was violent. It "Snap-Rolled"
very fast! Matt sustained full
impact of the crash as most of the energy of the crash was absorbed by the car
itself. From my point of
few, very little energy was dispersed. The proof is in the pictures, not a straight
panel left on the car and a
fracture in the roll cage just above the drivers head!
In these "Heads-Up" classes, all contenders run for the most part,
right on the number. This crash was
sure to have been a 2 car tangle had there been a Racer in the other lane. We
can only imagine what the
results might have been.
Bad Dog Racing was the first to donate funds to the "Roll-Over Fund"
that was quickly organized.
M&H Racemaster donated a set of Race Tires to replace Matt's damaged rubber.
The generous fans at BOR-51 donated whatever they could to help get Matt back
into the game. Simon
Racing headed-up controlling the incoming monies. Knowing Matt, we expect to
see him back in "The
Game" very soon!
Since this horrific crash, Dan at Ocean Street Video has released a video of
Matt's crash featuring a
super-slowmotion playback. Dan's fine skills at capturing the scary moments
show just how lucky Matt is to
have walked away. The car is virtually a total loss. The Crash was a major topic
on the VW forum boards.
The Roll-Over Fund continues, and every cent donated will help get Matt back
in the saddle.
No Bragging to be heard in the Bad Dog camp....Rick was the only one to go more
than one round. Rick
was running Pro-Eliminator and went Red in the second round.
In Sportsman I was sleeping at the light (.799) and lost on reaction time.
Jason, feeling he was on a blistering run in the bus with a 10 car lead, lifted
way too early and watched his
opponent squeeze by him at the line.
Confusion at the staging light saw Lynn line-up with an opponent that paid for
Trophy and tried to run
Sportsman. After a rather lengthy delay, he was backed out of the lights and
sent down the return road.
Then it happened again, another competitor staged against her, only to find
out he to was in the wrong
lane. Another lengthy delay goes by. As the third competitor started to line-up,
Lynn was offered another
chance to use the Burn-Out Box.
Be-wildered and frustrated, she had a less than adequate burn-out before lining
up. Unfortunately she
came up short on the far end. Feeling slighted by the officials, and feeling
she should have been given a bye
run, She protested, and requested a re-run.
Unfortunately her words fell upon deaf ears.
In Trophy Class, Gloria went red.
We would also like to Congratulate Shannon Sorlie for her Semi-Final apearance
Vs. the Poderzay Racecar.
It looked like a win for Shannon, but a slight break-out gave away a very close
race.
Those Poderzay Bros. are always tough!
Congrats again to the Racer's and Crew of the 1-800-CLEANUP Team....they certainly
did CLEAN-UP!
Michael Meyers bested a field of 14 Racers to take the win in the 11.90 Class.
Chris Brown finished in the
semi-finals. Wayne Axford out-lasted the largest racing class of BOR-51 taking
the Win in the Sportsman
Class.
Michael Meyers and Wayne Axford join the growing elite list of NASA Racers that
have posted wins at a
Bug-O-Rama including:
Tom Simon
Greg McNair
Chris Brown
Bob Moshier
Eric Schepper
Tony DeAnda
Gloria DeLeon
Greg Urrutia
there maybe others that I have missed, and there may even be some multi-class winners in our bunch too.
Although not a winning outing for BDR, it was one of the more exciting BOR's
I can remember. Fun was
had by all.
NASA Racers....some of the finest to ever climb into a Racecar!
"Jr. Dog" Takes the Trophy
Click here for Photos
March 22nd, NASA Race 2 Cancelled due to Rain
With a Team effort in wishful thinking, and with the highest of hopes for a
dry day, it was not to be. The rain was
consistent for most of Saturday. Sunday morning we found a very cloudy sky and
light showers continued. The
Racehouse hot line started to ring, our fellow racers calling for a local forecast.
We remained positive in attitude, but a
quick run to the Track verified what we didn't want to hear....Todays Events
have been cancelled. At least the call was
made early enough to allow most Racers to replan their day.
For the record....it turned out to be a very beautiful afternoon.
Friday April 4th
It seemed like an eternity has passed since the last race. Dog's tend to get
a little restless if they don't get to run. NASA
Race 3 is a Feature Race for Saturday of the CMI Spring Jam Weekend. We also
planned to race on Sunday in the Rear
Wheel Drive Class of CMI.
Friday night we relaxed and watched that crazy movie "jackass" as
we greeted the Dogs when they arrived. We shared
laughs most of the night. All counting we had 6 racers and crew of 4.
We welcomed "Diva Dog" and "Mad Dog", who made the trip
up from Southern California. It was great to have them with
us again. They brought some wonderful photos of some past events to share with
us. I think they rolled in about 3am,
now that's dedication.
Racecar changes for Race 3 will be some different front tires and wheels for
Lynn's Drag Ghia, and some new tires for
the Car Carrier which is seeing regular duty as the Buggy Hauler. Many thanks
to our sponsor Bridges Tire and Wheel
for the tires, mounting, and speed balancing. The rest of the Racecars were
washed and tuned. The gates open at 12
noon, so we had some freedom Saturday morning. It is so much nicer to have Saturday
races. Sunday races can be very
tough on a competitor. A successful outing can mean not getting home until midnight
for some.
Once packed we headed over to the track to fall in line behind hundreds of
Rice-Rockets at the front gate. A look inside
we saw a huge Tech line. Import Racers as far as you can see, 6 lanes deep!
The line seemed to move fairly fast, and
we found our way into the last remaing paved area large enough to support 6
Racecars. We set-up and made the rounds
to say hi to everybody.
It was good to see Alvin Craft out for the first time this year. Another nice
surprise was the debut of the much anticipated
Drag Buggy built for Shannon Sorlie. Shannon and crew were up late into the
wee hours of the morning putting finishing
touches on the car. When asked if she has any seat-time in the new Racecar she
replied, "I drove it around the block
once!" Always fun to look over a new Racecar....and look at it they did!
Once Race Director Tom Simon arrived, he informed us that Tech was being conducted
by NASA Officials. Tom aquired
the help of Brian Gomez and assigned him to inspect half of the field. Every
Racecar was carefully checked for
mechanical soundness and safety requirements. Needed corrections were made,
and additional suggestions were
offered. Getting your car Teched by an inspector with great knowledge about
that particular vehicle is always a good
practice.
Brian, or who we love to call "Speed Dog" has become very visible
at the Racetrack. He is well known by many of the
Track Officials. He has been drafted to "Run" the staging lanes, is
welcomed at the starting line controls, and was asked
to help fill containers at the Racegas Trailer. He has become quite the "Good
Will Ambassador". We are very fortunate to
have him on our team.
The Promoters of the CMI events really roll out the Red Carpet for the NASA
Racers.
They have the ability to manage hundreds of Racecars, and still let us run our
own lane. Waiting in the staging area is at
a minimum. The call comes out from the Tower and we run. We have been removed
from the hours of "hurry up and wait"
in the staging area. They call us up and we run, any waiting is done in the
comfort of our Pits with all the amenities. It's
nice to be the Main attraction for Saturday's schedule. During practice 2 Racecars
suffer mechanical failure. Tom
Simon's Fastback made some awful noises on a practice run. When asked about
that sound Tom answered, "That's the
sound of me not going to BOR in Arizona next weekend!". Simon Racing has
a back-up engine in the Trailer and they got
busy doing an engine swap.
At the Drivers Meeting we find out of the 17 Racers present, a perfect field
of sixteen will compete. Wayne Axford has to
withdraw with mechanical failure. As the day goes on a handfull of Racers will
suffer from various racing woes.
Greg Urrutia is presented with the Rhino Racing Transaxle won in the 2002 Championship
by Paul from Vee-Dub
Motorwerks. Vee-Dub Motorwerks stepped up again for this years Championship
Prizes announcing another Rhino
Trans, plus adding a pair of 044 Thick Cast Racing heads, and a Torque Meister.
Meyer Racing has jumped into the Sponsor role also, announcing they will award
each and every race winner a case of oil.
Great Sponsorship from Great Companies help make the NASA Series the success
it is!
Also covered in the Drivers Meeting is the fact that last race winner Lynn Urrutia
is the "Bounty Hunter" Target.
Numbers are pulled and the matches are made. Let's Go Racin'!
First pair....Matt Davis vs. Rick "Jr. Dog" DeLeon.
Turbo Fast Matt dials in at 10.85 and runs a best ever 10.70 at over 129mph!
That's wayyyy to fast. Matt breaks-out
bigtime, Smiling all the way.
Next pair are the teamates of "DesertDog" and "BlondeDog".
Rick Sr. starts his day with a $50.00 bonus courtesy of
Greg's VW Service. He collects the "Bounty Hunter Award" as Lynn red-lights.
Out for the first time this year, and winning his first race of the year, Alvin
Craft wins against Rick O'liver in the Transplant
Drag Ghia.
Rookie Contender Erik "The Red" Ormosen, running with a back-up motor
wins another round of elimination against
Chris Brown in the Notchback.
First race ever in the new Drag Buggy for Shannon Sorlie is a win. Defending
Champion Greg Urrutia breaks-out and
becomes a spectator.
Michael Meyer wins against the beautiful Drag Buggy owned by Chris Witham, currently
featured in Hot VW's Magazine.
Tom Simon, finishes installing the Back-up motor and wins against "YoyaDog"
whose new Drag Buggy is still suffering
from new car woes.
Closest race in the first round has got to be Bob Moshier vs "SpeedDog".
For the second time in a row Bob Moshier cuts an incredible light during eliminations.
.504 is good enough to stand all
day to win 20 bonus points. Unfortunately for Bob he broke out and lost. Brian
advances on to round 2.
Interesting match-up starts Round 2.
Rick Jr. wins against Rick Sr. Tough break for dad as he misses 2nd gear.
Alvin Craft wins again by besting Erik "The Red" in his second race.
Michael Meyers breaks going into 2nd grear, and Shannon Sorlie will advance
into the Semi-Finals.
In between rounds Simon Racing was busy tuning and adjusting the back-up motor
in the Fastback. Whatever changes
they made brought more from the motor than they expected. Brian Gomez gets the
win against Tom Simon as he breaks
out.
On to the semi-finals.
First pair finds Ricky Jr. staging opposite of Alvin Craft. This is the first
time either of these Racers have found their way
into the semi-finals, the pressure was on. Ricky was to leave first with the
slower dial-in. Overly anxious to catch the
slower car, Alvin launches to early and red-lights. Ricky goes to the final
round.
The other half of the ladder pits Brian Gomez against Shannon Sorlie. In another
very close race Shannon wins yet
again. A quick review of the time slip shows Shannon winning that "Nail
Biter" on reaction time. She goes on to meet
Ricky in the final.
All Racers are in the stands for the grand finale. Both of the finalists are
in their sophmore year of racing. Both are in new
Racecars for the 2003 Season. Both are at "The Next Level" of Racing
Sauvy. They Stage, the Tree counts down, and they are off. In the end, the win
light comes on for Ricky "Jr. Dog" DeLeon. His teamates are slapping
High Fives all the way around celebrating his first win!
Back in the Winners Circle the 2 top performers reap the spoils of Victory.
Beautiful Sculptured Trophies, Jack-Pot
Money, Points, and Pictures are presented to Ricky and Shannon.
Amazing what a single race can do for a competitor. With this win Ricky is tied
with Lynn in 2nd place points. Shannon, in
her first race finds herself in a tie for 3rd place!
An incredible day for both of these Racers!
Bad Dog Racing starts another winning streak with Back-to-Back wins! Ricky
will be the next target for the "Bounty
Hunter" award.
Next Race April 19th
A Slick Win For Lynn!
Click
here for Photos
Wow - a lot has happened in the past few weeks....
There's never an Off-Season. The 2003 NASA Series starts well before the March
2nd Race date. It's the time when
every racer has an equal chance at winning the Championship. There's always
something more to do, one more hurdle
to clear, one more person to make happy. During this supposedly slow period,
new cars are built and tested. A tweak
here, an adjustment there, are the things that can win a race.
We installed a new tranny from Transform Transaxles into Gloria's new Drag
Buggy. She also went shopping for some
"necessities", including a new Helmet and Visor, Racing Shoes, and
Racing Gloves. Lynn celebrated a birthday and
received the unique and rare gift of a NOS set of Firestone Slicks (compliments
of teamates Rick, Gloria, and Greg). Rick
Jr., now behind the wheel of the Drag Baja, installed a new 1 5/8 Merged Header.
Excited to get back to the races, team members started arriving at the Racehouse
on Friday. Our award winning Crew
Cheif Simon Rameriz, took some time off from work to make the long haul from
Southern California. Josh Preston joined
Brian in the New Motorhome to make the cruise up to Sacramento. J-Dog made an
early start with the DragBus in tow.
Rick, Gloria, Rick Jr, Lynn and Greg rounded out the team members present for
the NASA opener.
Friday night we reviewed our previous years performances in magazines, pictures,
log books, and film. Our favorite is the
DVD created for us by Jason's mom. Springer Films put together a short movie
documenting our performance at
Bug-O-Rama 50. A lot is learned each and everytime we watch it. The DVD highlights
Gloria's outstanding performance
winning in the Trophy Class. It also captures Bad Dog Racing dominating the
Sportman Class with Tony "DaddyDog"
DeAnda taking the win against teamate Greg. Bad Dog Racing was identified often
in the Tower, and on the PA system.
We left that event with a bounty of cash, prizes and trophies.
We reserved Saturday to take advantage of the T-N-T session. We took 3 Racecars
to dial in. Jason's DragBus, Lynn's
"Slick" Ghia Coupe, and Gloria's new Drag Buggy.
After Gloria's first run, it was obvious some shifter problems needed to be
addressed. Josh Preston quickly jumped in and
started to work on the shifter. After a few minutes of modifying the Gene Berg
Shifter, Josh re-installed and finely
adjusted the linkage. Problem solved! Josh has many hours in design, fabrication,
and assembly of this newest Racecar.
He has taken it upon himself to see to it this Racecar operates flawlessly.
Gloria continued to get the much needed seat time in her new ride. She made
many passes getting used to the dynamics
of the Buggy.
After mounting the Slicks on Lynn's Ghia we found some interference in the left
rear corner. With a little ingenuity, a Floor
Jack, and a Large Pry Bar we managed to "Massage" the inner fender-well
to clear the larger tire.
Lynn suited up and headed up to the staging lanes. Although a little nervous
about backing into the Bleach Box for the
first time, she was determined to do her first burn-out. Crew Chief Simon has
a calming effect on the drivers, and put
Lynn at ease as he escorted her to the starting line and guided her into box.
Lynn got the "all clear" sign from the starter,
wound the engine up and let the clutch fly. She lit up the "Stones"
with the look of a Pro! She focused on the Tree and
ripped off a low .500 light. A great start to a new staring line routine. Lynn
made many passes and continued to perfect
her starting line performance. She smoked the tires each and everytime, left
on the green with no tire spin, and
continued to register mid to low .500 reaction times.
Jason's DragBus, as always raised more than a few eyebrows. All eyes were on
the Bus everytime he staged. In most
cases the rear of the DragBus would jump straight up when Jason launched. The
DragBus would wheelie the rear end! It
was quite a sight to see air underneath his tires. At one point, the starting
line crew crouched down behind the DragBus
to watch it react with leaps and bounds. We need to fabricate something to smooth
out the drivability of the DragBus if it
is to keep the reduction boxes.
We wrapped up the test session and returned to the RaceHouse.
Anticipation grows as the NASA Season Opener draws near. Recent talk on the
Cal-Look and Shop Talk Forums has
generated more attention to the Series. Many new comers are expected, and the
field maybe 30 or more Racecars.
Always good to see new faces, and meet new friends.
Come Raceday we are treated to a beautiful clear day. The snow covered mountians
visible in the distance provided a
picture-perfect backdrop for NASA's first race of 2003. As anticipated this
event attracted new racers, fans and
supporters.
We welcomed and exchanged pleasantries with new and old friends. For some it
was the first time they experienced drag
racing in person. A reciepe for a fun day of racing was starting to take shape.
All Counted 20 Racers were to compete for Cash, Prizes, and Bragging Rights.
In addition to the BDR drivers we found
veterans Tom Simon, Matt Davis, Rick O'liver, Chris Brown, Bob Moshier, Leo
De La Rosa, Gary Holcomb, Michael
Meyer, and Greg McNair. The Rookie(?) field included Wayne Axford, Cliff Witham,
Jerry Matsko, and Erik "The Red"
Ormosen.
After 2 rounds of practice we headed over to the Drivers Meeting. We were saddened
to hear Jerry Matsko had to
withdraw from competition due to ignition problems. Race Director Tom Simon
welcomed and introduced the new Racers,
reviewed changes in the points structure, announced the series sponsors, and
created a "JackPot" program for the
Racers. Greg annouced that Greg's VW Service was sponsoring a "Bounty Hunter"
Cash Award to the racer that beats
the previous race winner at anytime during eleminations. This new award is the
brainchild of our friend and series
sponsor Dan from Ocean Street Videos. A great idea, and a added bonus to the
Racers. Thanks for the great idea Dan!
We paired up for the first round and waited the call from the tower. Due to
the odd number of Racers a bye run was
awarded to the low number. Greg Urrutia will take a solo in the first round.
First round finds rookie Wayne Axford in the Recycle Oil Program of Sacramento
sponsored 67 Drag Bug falling to the 70
Drag Ghia of Rick O'liver from Placerville.
Next pair finds BDR Teamates of "BlondeDog" Lynn vs "DesertDog"
Rick. Practice makes perfect as Lynn cuts another
great light. Unfortunately for Rick, he overreacts and gets caught with a redlight.
Rough start of the 2003 season for
Rick, he'll be back next race more determined than ever!
Gloria in the new Racecar loses to her old Racecar driven by son Rick "Jr.
Dog" DeLeon.
"SpeedDog" Brian Gomez has his day ended early with a close match
against Chris Brown in the 65 Nothcback.
Bob Moshier of Manteca gets his first win of the day against Leo De La Rosa
all the way up from Salinas.
"J-Dog" is a little over anxious as he redlights against Rookie Eric
Ormosen in his 66 Ghia from Marysville.
Fresh from a Double Trophy nab at the Grand National Roadster Show, Matt Davis
continues his winning ways against
rookie contender Cliff Witham in his Super Sweet Manx Buggy from Paradise.
Elite Class winner at the GNRS Tom Simon goes red against the always tough Gary
Holcomb in the screamin Drag Buggy
all the way from Royal Oaks.
Last pair finds former NASA Champ Greg McNair besting Micheal Meyer in his freshly
painted 65 Drag Sedan.
Greg finds his first win of the day against Rick O'liver in Round 2.
Lynn continues to post great reaction times and wins over teamate Rick Jr.
Bob Moshier gets his second win by beating Chris Brown in the Notchback.
Matt Davis wins again vs Eric "The Red" in round 2
In the match-up of the Drag Buggy Veterans, Greg McNair betters his pal Gary
Holcomb.
On to the quarter finals....
Lynn gets the bye run.
In a very close race Bob Moshier wins against Greg by pulling a .508 reaction
time out of his bag of tricks. This is a "Hat
Trick" for Bob....not only does he win the race giving him a bye run into
the finals, he wins the Bounty Hunter award, and
the "Best Reaction Time" award in this round.
Greg McNair wins against Matt Davis to advance in to the Semi-finals.
Bob takes his solo run and awaits the winner of Lynn vs Greg McNair.
All eyes are upon this match-up. Lynn has had an incredible day up to this point.
Greg McNair is always an intimidating
opponent. Lynn gets the jump on Greg M, at the light and runs another flawless
race. McNair can't catch her, and Lynn
celebrates a very satisfying win against one of the best to ever climb into
a racing seat.
As darkness sets upon us the last race of the day finds Bob Moshier staging
opposite of Lynn Urrutia. The Starter
activates the Tree and Lynn leaves first. In another anxious moment, Moshier
leaves too soon and triggers a red light.
Lynn wins!
Back at the Winners Circle, the finalist are awarded their Trophies, Jack Pot
Money, Bounty Hunter Money,Sponsor
Prizes, and POINTS! Pictures are taken, and Lynn graciously accepts the prized
"Winners Sticker". This is her second
Sticker. Not only is she the first female to win a NASA race, she is also the
second "Double Sticker" Winner. Lynn is all
smiles, leads the points chase and her BDR teamates are very proud of her!
We take this opportunity to celebrate Lynn's birthday with cake and song.
Congratulations and Happy Birthday Lynn!
Just goes to show how important it is to prepare and practice. A winning season
starts with a winning routine, and a
positive attitude. We at Bad Dog Racing challenge ourselves each and everytime
we climb into the drivers seat. We
welcome the challenge, and are thrilled to be part of the NASA Racing Family.
2003 Starts with a Bang!
Anxious to get the year of to a great start the team at Bad Dog Racing is busy
putting the finishing touches on Racecars.
Gloria's new Drag Buggy is in the final stages of completion. A beautiful Pearl
Orange paint job has been applied. Custom graphics of "Tigger" was
created by our Artist Jeff Hurley. Rollbar Fabrication by Josh Preston insures
a safe and sturdy racecar. Testing of this newest addition to the racecar fleet
will begin in February.
Other racecar improvements includes Rick's Drag Buggy. A new set of Weber 48
IDA Race Carburetors will be installed.
His engine re-tuned and tweaked to ready him for a full on assault at the '03
championship. Rick has taken his racing program to yet a higher level. Unsatisfied
with his 2002 performance, he is more focused than ever to finish well in each
and every race of the 2003 racing season.
His enthusiasm and determination is contagious. He motivated must of the team to participate in a warm up race early in the year. The CMI Winter Warm up was held on January 5th. Eager to shake out the cobwebs, and to get some track time in, Greg, Lynn, Rick, Gloria, Jason, and Brian made it to the first race of the year. This CMI race is used more as a Test-N-Tune to get some of the Winter Projects some track time. CMI does not have a regimented race program at this event, but leaves it up to the Racers to create a "Jackpot" for those who want to "Run for The Money". Jackpot to be split 60/40 for the Winner and Runner-up. Brian wasted no time at all in getting the crowd excited by one of his Super Smoky Burn-outs. His car literally disappeared in a huge cloud of smoke that choked the fans as it passed over the grandstands. Greg was also "Wowing" the fans with his trademark wheelstands. Jason's DragBus is always the talk of the crowd, and he proved to be right on the mark with his consistent times. Rick, Gloria, and Lynn all had fast times with their Racecars, in fact too fast as they all broke-out in the first round. Brian went a couple of rounds before he too broke out. Greg managed to finish in the quarter-finals running seven rounds before losing a very close race. Margin of victory for his opponent a mere .017! Over 70 racecars ran in the Jackpot race. All things considered, another respectable outing for the BDR race team.
Also on tap for the start of 2003 was the NASA Pro Racing Awards Banquet. This
year held at the Contra Costa Culinary
College. The racers were treated to some very tasty creations. As usual the
Drag Racers seemed to be the hit of the Party. We brought our own decorations,
party favors, banners, and balloons. Once again we had our own music played
when a Bad Dog was called to the stage to accept an award. This has become sort
of our own Annual Tradition. Our own Simon Rameriz made the trek from Southern
California to be with his Teamates at this prestigious event.
Greg's VW has been a Major Sponsor of this Series, and once again pledged over
$1000.00 in cash and awards to the top performers. Race Director Tom Simon did
another outstanding job as the Master of Ceremonies reviewing the year and handing
out the beautiful trophies. Greg had the pleasure of presentng Tom with 2 major
awards the first being for "The Fastest Pass", followed by the presentation
of a very large trophy for Tom's third place finish in the series.
In the Bad Dog Racing Camp a number of awards were acknowledged. The first was
a recognition award to our Crew Chief Simon Ramirez for his outstanding work
behind the scene. Simon plays a major role on our team, and much of our success
is directly related to his "Hands On Approach" to looking after seven
or more racecars. Simon's award is well deserved, and we are very proud of him.
Gloria DeLeon graciously accepted the "Hard Charger Award" for her
on-going determination in pursuit of the Rookie of the Year Award. Although
she finished a very close second, her performance was one on par with that of
the most accomplished racer. She will be major player this season with a new,
faster racecar. Jason Lang recieved a very prestigious award for cutting the
"Best Light" of the year. He was recognized for launching the DragBus
with a .501 light (.500 being a perfect light). Also in his rookie season, watch
out for Jason to "Bring It" in the 2003 Season. Varik Gough, last
years Rookie of the Year was recognized for his top five finish. He took home
a cash award for his fifth place finish.
Multi-award winner was the "Grand Dog" Greg Urrutia. Not only did
he bring home the very first Championship to Bad Dog Racing, leading the points
since he took over first place in the second race of the year. He also was honored
with the "Sportsman of the Year" award. It was an especially meaningful
award for it awarded to Greg for the second year in a row! The trophy presented
for the Championship was the largest award given out at the banquet.
Lastly, Greg's VW Service was honored with a plaque for ongoing support, and
sponsorship of the NASA series. Accepting the award on behalf of Greg's VW was
Josh Preston.
Other significant awards went to Micheal Meyer for finishing in the "Runner-Up"
position. Shannon Sorlie was presented with a Plaque and custom made banner
(awarded by Greg's VW), for the "Rookie of the Year". This presentation
is of historic significance, for it is the first time a major award has been
won by a female. Also recognized for her ongoing help in the Series was Stacey
Simon for Scoring.
Greg's VW and Bad Dog Racing Congratulates these and all the winners for another
fantastic season of NASA Pro Racing. Looking forward to another great year of
racing in 2003!
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