Muffley & Wilson open season with Enduro wins
By: Tony Baranek
Schererville, IN (May 16, 2004) - In the rugged world of enduro racing, a leisurely Sunday drive can turn into something quite different in a matter of moments. Carl Muffley could attest after winning the season-opening 75-lap enduro for V8 cars at Illiana Speedway.
The 46-year-old Plymouth, Ind., native was seemingly running away with the event at the halfway point when he suddenly found himself boxed in among a four-car pack of lapped competitors.
Enter Brandon Clubb. The 19-year-old from Coal City was able to whittle a nearly half-track deficit down to nothing in only a couple of laps. Then, on lap 42, he slipped underneath Muffley in Turn 1 and took the lead.
"Aw, I think he was playing with me," said Clubb, who led laps 1 through 3 before Muffley made his first pass. "He's got a lot more motor than I've got."
The latter opinion may be true. But the former definitely wasn't.
"You don't want to get close to any of the (lapped) cars that were getting loose and a little sideways," Muffley said. "All it takes is a little rubbing of the fenders and you've got a cut tire. "I did slow down a bit because I didn't want to get into the wrecks. But when he (Clubb) closed up and caught me out, I was able to work back at it and get around him."
Underneath him, actually. And once the 14-year veteran of enduro racing reclaimed the top spot on lap 47, he made sure that no one closed in again. Muffley crossed the finish line a full straightaway ahead of Clubb. Bob Cowgill was third, followed by David Mons, Mike Mersich and Steve Loper.
Longtime area racing veteran Rick Wilson of Frankfort overcame an early-race spin to post an easy victory in the 150-lap enduro for pure stocks. It was his seventh career enduro win.
"I got lucky," the 45-year-old Wilson said, laughing. "We got this car (1987 Honda Prelude) yesterday morning. My family and I stripped the car, and here it is. We painted it, and it was probably still wet when we went out on the track."
Wilson took the lead from David Cressler of Highland, Ind. just before the midway point of the race. Cressler was still within striking distance on lap 108 when his No. 27 broke down.
"It looks like the drive axle broke," Cressler said. "All at once... gone. I was letting up, holding back until the end of the race."
Cressler wasn't holding back at the beginning of the event. Starting 22nd, he and his Honda Civic flew into third place by lap four. He took the lead from Wilson on lap 8, shortly after which Wilson spun his No. 57 to the infield.
"A lapped car was pushing real bad and came down on me," Wilson said. "I tried to give the guy above me a little bit of room and, well, I got turned around."
Wilson stayed on the lead lap, however, and worked himself back into contention. The pass on Cressler was a smooth one - for a good reason, according to Cressler.
"Well, I figured I'd get up front real quick," Cressler said with a smile. "Then, when I saw him coming (back) I let him pass me. I wanted to wait until the end of the race to make it interesting."
There would be no interesting ending for Cressler. Second place instead went to Chris Kawalski, who was two laps down. Mike Carpenter was third, followed by Frank Goncher and Helen Nester.
