I feel like I’m in a band. It’s me and a bunch of misfits tearing it up every Saturday night. I know everybody in this band. We practice all the time. I don’t like some people but I get along with everybody. The under assistant west coast promotion man is smoking out back. The kids are dancing in the aisles. There’s a fox named Jamie in the tower so crank up the volume. Mud is airborne, the crowd is rocking and the drummer is pounding like a piston. What a party! Forget Liverpool, screw Dublin and kick Sunset Boulevard to the curb. This is what’s happening now. The wind is in our face as we slide job our destinies. You think I’m kidding? Do you think anyone really cares about bad bets on derivative packages? It’s bands like Naylor, Thomson and Figueroa that folks will remember in the future. We’re playing so good and so loud that everybody is complaining all down the halls of history….

All Thrill No Fill

Constant Threat

Thanks to friends that covered my back when I was gone. I just asked the most hardcore people I could find. So far, that’s Gary Costa, Sheri Be Bob, Buzzard and Norm Bogan. Thanks for going out on a limb and showing heart. Regarding the surfnsprint.com photo website, I bit off more than I can chew and I have not been keeping it current. But I have only begun to fight. The problem is that it takes so long to edit the several hundred photos I take every Saturday. I’m thinking of abandoning the editing (best shots, cropping, lightening, darkening, ect..) and just posting the whole &%#*load. I’m just going to put up everything and let you knuckleheads pick through it. What’s important to me may not matter at all to Kiwi @ 9w. Maybe he just wants to see how the frame is twisting coming out of two and what’s going on with the shocks. It’s scary to think of putting up the naked truth. But that’s where I’m going. If you are smart enough to download a photo (five smackers any picture unlimited use) you are probably smart enough to edit it yourself. Remember, all money goes to the driver’s purse for the epic All Coast Challenge coming in November. It’s that insane.

Joe Snyder and The Pistons

It’s the Ricky Lewis show over at the Mini Dwarf Supercharger division. He took first Saturday night and leads the points. Miles Hedrick took second and Oliver Blades is second in points. But Ricky really shines right before the Main Event when he leads the crowd dancing to YMCA. I love that kid! Takes over the whole joint! Joe Snyder took the win for the Piston Division. Kyle Peterson was second. Zachary Gilmore leads the points being chased by Joe Snyder. In the VRA Junior Midgets Riley Helland won the main event, but the real battle was for second with Mark Garrett edging Austin Figueroa. Austin leads the points followed by Brennan Rogers. Unbelievable smack down racing on the smaller track that Naylor reconfigured and added bank. Check out the photos!

Helland Solos

Ricky Lewis and His Band

I’m starting to think Pro Dwarf winner Ray Estrada may be the best driver at Ventura. You can’t deny Brent Underwood’s incredible Pony Stock run, but for overall racing you need to add a little speed. You can’t ignore how Kevin Kierce is dominating the Sprint division, but at the moment he’s more about consistency than winning. But Estrada has won four of the seven main events his class has run. He came out Saturday night and again took a commanding lead in a field stuffed with talent. Your top five in points were out front and locked down tighter than a credit application. Estrada, Olson, Saxton, Figueroa and Benson lined up like a crazy train. Things got a little testy between Olson and Saxton. Olson jumped the berm coming out of two and had a complete wipeout by the time he got to three. Figueroa faded; Eric Alton and Thomas Velasquez stepped it up and took over for those two. This is awesome racing, these top guys are nuts on the straight-aways and victory is measured in inches. It finished Estrada, Saxton, Benson, Alton and Velasquez. Hook up; it doesn’t get better!

Is This The Best Guitar Player In Ventura?

Get out of Damon Redman’s way; he’s late for his appointment with destiny. At least that is how it seems as he again muscles his way into victory lane. That’s what you gotta do when you start on row four. Brad Prows led six laps before settling into second place. I saw him later and Officer Prows was not happy! Whatever, he is having an outstanding year. Wes Richardson and Austin Rodarte were also in the deal with lots of bumping and grinding. It finished Redman, Prows, Austin Rodarte, Jack Parker and Steve Smith. Those five are also in the point’s battle with Rodarte leading. They’re all close enough to spit!

Damon Redman Rocks Ventura Raceway

Master jewel thief Wily Miller again rolled his way to the front of the VRA Senior Sprints. If I were aspiring to be a sprint car driver, I would plant myself at turn one and study this guy. He hardly ever leaves the middle line. Technically perfect he rolls through the center, never bothering to get dirty at the top, never slowing to ride the berm. If you crowd him, he will allow you just enough rope to hang yourself. Once you make your mistake, he will quickly show you the back of his fuel tank. Unfailingly polite, murderously efficient, he seems like he’s having a good time. Must be, he’s been at Ventura Raceway for the past twenty-one years! Rob Kershaw took second and an impressive third place by Cliff Warren. Russell Deblauw and Bruce Douglas rounded out the top five. Wily quietly slips past Bruce in the point’s race. Also an excellent run by Bob Alderman in sixth. They’re playing again in two weeks.

Wily Miller Rolls Another One

I spent a little time in the pits stands with Andrew and the boys and learned a few things about the Sport Compacts. Apparently, the front wheel drives are sensitive and problematic. They’ve only been averaging five front wheels lately. Now that they are scoring the rear wheels apart, there is a resurgence of interest with thirteen clocking in this weekend. Trevor Fitzgibbon (rear wheel) took his first ever main event win. His previous best finish was 2nd place two weeks running back in May of 2008. I love people that hang in there. Mike Frazier took second and the inimitable David Peterson notched third. Brent Underwood owns the points but Cody Grieman is not far behind. In the front wheel division Darren Gunnell took his first in 2009. Jess Carlucci finished second and the Godfather James Brown was third. The Godfather rules the points with Joel Chavez Jr. in second. Joel Chavez Sr. rents cars in this class and you should check it out. Come to think of it, I should try on one of those rocking horses.

Fitzgibbon Finishes First

Veterans Kevin Kierce and Chris Wakim were sandwiched in the second row surrounded by youth and raw ambition. Cody Kershaw and Guy Woodward on the front row, desire dripping from their teeth. Behind them were past winners but equally hungry John Nock and Brandon Thomson. Phillip Stevenson kicked out the stool and all hell broke loose. Woodward on the gas and hugging the top. Kierce hit the bottom. Cody Kershaw rocking in third. John Nock stinging fast in fourth. There’s Troy Rutherford working in fifth. Don Gansen spins in turn two and everybody gasps a breath. Espinoza is in the tower laying down the driver’s perspective and Naylor is asking the tough questions. Green flag and Woodward has a firm grip. He actually starts gaining on the field, Kierce running second, Kershaw third, Nock is fourth but Brandon Thomson steals it away. They are all high on the cushion and getting into thick traffic. Beautiful wheel-to-wheel action as Kierce catches Woodward and they racing for first. Cody Kershaw is right there not backing down one inch! Fifteen laps have passed and Woodward is freaking perfect. Traffic tries to stuff him but he hustles around and just smokes everybody. Brent Camarillo breaks and we are yellow with eighteen down. Green and a hot race starts blistering. Kierce tries to slide Woodward and Guy bounces off the wall. Quick recovery and resumes the lead. Now Kershaw tries to slide him but is denied. Woodward again opens up some territory and you wonder if anyone can catch him. He is just vicious fast everywhere. Charlie Butcher spins in turn three and we are yellow with nine to go. Fast restart, Woodward hit the wall coming out of two and things get weird. Kierce is up high and gets on the throttle trying to capitalize. Below them, Cody Kershaw is rolling the bottom and getting the jump on both of them. Judging from the You Tube video posted by Woodward, Kierce was side by side and focused on beating Woodward down the stretch. Kershaw had snuck by on the bottom and was slowing to get around the bottom of three and four. Kierce came up on him too fast and landed on top of him. Kierce to the back and hapless Kershaw to the pits. You don’t see Kierce mess up too often. Woodward dodged another bullet and led the restart with eight to go. Lucky dogs included Thomson, Nock, Steve Conrad, Tyler Edwards and Chris Wakim all moving up two slots. Woodward charges again and again hits the wall in turn two! Nock and Thomson squeeze by for first and second. Two other cars tangle and we are yellow with six to go. Nock leads the restart and Thomson is also gassing. Woodward is so fast trying to catch them coming into three that the car just seems to have a nervous breakdown. He shimmies and shakes his way down the front straightaway before sliding backwards to a stop in the infield near turn one. The night’s most exciting driver gets out of his car and just stares at the car like it’s General Motors. Espinoza acknowledges and the crowd gives him a rousing ovation. Send in the government. Restart for the final five laps has Nock in the lead, Thomson in second and Conrad scratching in third. They’re all on the bottom now! Thomson goes high and takes the lead. Brian Camarillo hits the wall and we are yellow with a green white checker. Thomson launches, leads and wins! Nock second, Conrad third, Wakim fourth and Don Gansen fifth. Tyler Edwards was hard charger going from eighteenth to sixth. Like I say, it’s a band. You can call us Slow Hand and Fast Foot.

Fast Foot