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Jeff Bird wins the STRAWBERRY CUP!
The "iceman" is HOT! Jeff Bird is the 2004 Strawberry Cup CHAMPION! Jeff Bird, one of only two drivers from Canada running on the NSRA tour full-time, won his first career Northwest Sprintcar Racing Association feature event Sunday night in the 2004 Strawberry Cup. Twenty-two winged 360 sprint cars were on hand at Western Speedway for the event. Several drivers, including Jeff Bird, Randy Vincent, Randy Price, and Jeff Montgomery, are regulars in the Wilroc series, which races almost entirely on Vancouver Island. From Shawnigan Lake with his Jack FM sponsored #55 car and limited Wilroc engine, Bird picked a good night to get his first win as it came in front of his family, friends and many fans at Western Speedway in Victoria. Bird started the 40-lap main event on the front row outside defending NSRA champion Pat Bliss from Oregon. Bliss took the early lead in #49 and pulled away on the 4/10-mile, asphalt oval. Behind him and Bird were Mike Basher, Randy Price, Jeff Montgomery, Chris Petersen, and Vincent. By lap six, Vincent was past Price and Petersen and working on Montgomery for fourth place.
Bliss reached very thick traffic on lap nine and had a difficult time passing any of them, allowing Bird to reel in the American leader by lap 15. Bird challenged Bliss for the lead, but couldn't make anything stick as the next several cars in the running order caught up with them. Bird made his move for the lead on lap 20 and held on to it in traffic, then pulled away when he found some clear space on the track. Vincent's car, meanwhile, came to life as he passed Montgomery for fourth place on lap 20. On lap 22, he went by both Basher and Bliss to move into the second position. Montgomery and Andy Alberding then moved past Basher shortly after. The race was slowed on lap 24 when a tangle occurred in turn two with #95, #76, and Rick Brown's #33, seriously damaging all three cars involved. They were running fifth, sixth, and seventh when the accident happened. #95 was done for the night, but the #33 car continued after a brief stop in the pit area. Controversy erupted when Alberding, the series point leader, climbed into his #76 backup car to continue the race. He took advantage of the fact that the NSRA rulebook contains nothing prohibiting switching to backup cars during a race. The Jack FM #55 car continued leading with Vincent and Bliss following. On lap 36, Bird was entering traffic, allowing Vincent to close in and challenge Bird for the lead. Fortunes smiled upon Bird, however, as the #10 car stalled in turn four. The second and final caution of the race cleared the track in front of Bird for the final five laps of racing. Jeff Bird in the #55 car took his first NSRA feature victory ahead of Vincent and Bliss, who held off a hard-charging Randy Price for third place. Price finished fourth, with Montgomery and Chris Petersen finishing fifth and sixth, respectively. Alberding, driving his backup car for the last 17 laps of the Strawberry Cup, charged back to finish eighth. The NSRA said that as a result of the unusual event, there will be a rule in next year's rulebook which will prohibit drivers from switching cars during a race. Bird also finished 2nd in the Heat Race, with crew member & fellow competitor Cam McLean in the #26 car finishing third. The Strawberry Cup was originally scheduled for Saturday night, but was postponed due to rainfall. The NSRA and Western Speedway officials agreed to run on Sunday as the Memorial holiday in the United States made it possible for most of the U.S. visitors to stay on Vancouver Island and run on Sunday. The NSRA will return to Victoria for its second and final appearance this year in Canada on August 21, 2004 for the 42nd Annual Daffodil Cup race. Bird has moved up to 5th place in the NSRA point standings, and with this win will now have his name added to the prestigious Geoff Vantreight Strawberry Cup trophy alongside previous winners since 1964. Those names include: Billy Foster, Jim Malloy, Al Smith, Roy Smith, Jim Roberts, Ross Fontes, Don McLeod, Doug Larson, Trevor Montgomery, and Randy Vincent.
-original article written by Andrew Kunas; edited for this website
by Joanne Faulkner (KABOOM) |
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photo of Jeff and his trophy, featured in the Cowichan
News Leader