Round 5 of SWFM Series Sees Four Wide in Turn 1 at TWS
by Sandy Magrath
  

The 2003 Southwest Formula Mazda Series ran Rounds 5 & 6 at Texas World Speedway on May 24 - 25 at the SCCA Lone Star Grand Prix.  On Saturday’s SCCA Regional, Darryl Wills qualified on the pole with Bill Daniel and Nur B. Ali in 2nd and 3rd.  This race proved to be one of the most exciting in the history of the SW Formula Mazda Series.  There were five lead changes and four different leaders.  At the completion of Lap 1, Bill Daniel had the lead with Wills, McCrackin, and Ali close behind.  On Lap 5, Daniel fell back to fourth while Wills, McCrackin, and Ali played “musical chairs” – each one taking the lead at one time or another.   
On Lap 7, they were “4 Wide” going into turn 1.  Then on Lap 12, with McCrackin in front, Daniel made his way around Wills and Ali.  McCrackin and Daniel were then “neck in neck” when Daniel flew off the track and across the grass and back onto the track in front of McCrackin.   In the meantime, 16 year old Ross Smith who qualified fifth, decided he wanted some of the action as well.  Ross made it around Wills and then Ali.  On the last lap of the race, Wills was charging on Ross for third place.  Ross missed a shift right before the finish line and Wills got him for the position.  Daniel won the race with McCrackin in 2nd.   Ali finished in 5th.  Congrats goes to all of these guys!!!!  Each and every one did a fantastic job and provided excitement beyond compare.

Sundays SCCA National at first looked to be a repeat of Saturday with Wills on the pole and McCrackin and Ali in 2nd and 3rd.  Daniel qualified 4th.  However, trouble found both Daniel and Ali and neither finished the race.  Daniel met up with an FC on Lap 3.  Ali made it all the way to Lap 21 and was in 3rd position when his car encountered electrical problems.  Darryl Wills won the race and Ben McCrackin finished 2nd.  Frank Tomlinson, who started in 7th, finished 3rd.

Round 5 (Texas World Speedway SCCA Regional 5/24/03 )

Qualifiying

Race

1.  Darryl Wills  (1:07:21)

1.  William Daniel  (1:08:29)

2.  William Daniel  (1:07:73)

2.  Ben McCrackin (1:08:84)

3.  Nur B. Ali  (1:07:93)

3.  Darryl Wills  (1:08:38)

4.  Ben McCrackin  (1:08:22)

4.  Ross Smith  (1:08:86)

5.  Ross Smith  (1:08:61)

5.  Nur B. Ali  (1:08:86)

6.  Keith Verges  (1:09:17)

6.  Frank Tomlinson  (1:09:95)

7.  Frank Tomlinson  (1:09:31)

7.  Keith Verges  (1:09:74)

8.  Michael Tari  (1:09:50)

8.  Greg Byrne  (1:11:19)

9.  Greg Labadie  (1:09:74)

9.  Michael Tari  (1:10:70)

10. R. David Jones  (1:09:77)

10. Walter Gragert  (1:10:23)

11. Walter Gragert  (1:09:97)

11. Greg Labadie  (1:10:59)

12. Greg Byrne  (no time)

12. R. David Jones  (1:10:99)

  

Round 6 ( Texas World Speedway SCCA National 5/25/03 )

Qualifiying Race
1.  Darryl Wills  (1:07:62) 1.  Darryl Wills  (1:07:47)
2.  Ben McCrackin  (1:07:69) 2.  Ben McCrackin  (1:07:95)
3.  Nur B. Ali  (1:08:12) 3.  Frank Tomlinson  (1:10:09)
4.  William Daniel  (1:08:55) 4.  Keith Verges  (1:09:36)
5.  Keith Verges  (1:08:91) 5.  Greg Labadie  (1:10:92)
6.  Walter Gragert  (1:09:68) 6.  R. David Jones (1:10:36)
7.  Frank Tomlinson  (1:09:72) 7.  Greg Byrne  (1:11:73)
8.  Greg Labadie  (1:10:58) 8.  Walter Gragert  (1:11:15)
9.  R. David Jones   (1:10:65) 9.  Nur B. Ali  (1:08:86)
10. Greg Byrne  (1:10:99) 10. William Daniel  (1:09:37)

otal FM Car Count 18

2003 Southwest Formula Mazda Series Point Standings
(Revised 5/29/03)

1. Darryl Wills 112 9.   Nur B. Ali 67
2. William Daniel â 95 10. Greg Labadie â (m) 63
3. Ben McCrackin â (m) 94 11. Dave Defnet â 61
4. Keith Verges â  91 12. Michael Tari â 55
5. Frank Tomlinson   79 13. Ross Smith   â 40
6. Greg Byrne  (m) 77 14. Doug Saylors 31
7. Walter Gragert â 72 15. Tim Magrath 29
7. R. David Jones (m) 72 16. Charlie Brown â (m) 18

Note:  Drivers are scored on their best 11 out of 13 races.  Drivers that attend all races will drop 2 of their worse finishes.  Points shown above reflect the dropped finishes.
® = Rookie         (m) = Master