surfnsprint
Thursday, March 16, 2006
The Very Best 5 of '05'
March 12, 2005 Race #1
The fifth best race of the season was actually the first race. The Loudpedal DVD had all this neat pre race footage from the pits. Great shot of Camarillo, Kershaw and Chulahoof (Team Agromin) standing together in their coordinated colors in front of their new matching cars. Perfectly captured the preseason preparation, commitment and optimism. The clean suits didn’t last long.
After tough crash filled heats, some of the top drivers all found themselves having to go through the semi main. Rob Kershaw, Chris Wakim, Kevin Kierce and Blake Miller ran the semi and found themselves in the last two rows of the main event as it started. The rear positions didn’t last long.
On a winter soaked track the green flag started the first main event of the season.
In the early going, it was Luis Espinoza, Billy Camarillo and Greg Taylor making the charge. But a series of circumstance took out these front runners. Remarkably the last four starters, Miller, Kierce, Wakim and Kershaw, made their way through the pack and were leading the last five laps. Wakim and Kierce had to go to the back a second time, even that didn’t slow them down. Blake finished first, Rob second, Chris third and Kevin fourth. Wow! Talk about attitude.
Fourth Best Race of ‘05’
May 14, 2005 Race #8
On a perfect track that had more teeth than a barracuda, the early laps were dominated by racing buddies Chris Wakim and Luis Espinoza with some Wes Richardson thrown in. Blake Miller biked so hard in Turn 2 that he was out. Greg Taylor hits a crash wall and his season in hell continues.
Next up is one of the worst crashes of the year, Guy Woodward flipping between turn one and two, getting air, hitting the billboards so hard that they practically exploded. That tough son of a gun came back later in the season.
Now that the bad news was out of the way, the front drivers got down to one of the hardest fought finals of the year. It was Wakim, Espinoza, Conrad, Camarillo and Kierce battling at the front. Wakim started to pull away but Espinoza wasn’t finished as they headed into the final ten laps.
All eyes are now on Chris Wakim as he tries to hold off his close friend Luis Espinoza. Suddenly, Chris uncharacteristically takes the bottom, Luis swings high in turn 4 and wrestles away the lead down the back straightaway. With two laps to go, it looks like Wakim might grab it back. On the final turn, Luis is low, Chris is high and they are neck and neck. With the precision of a surgeon, Luis holds his line, low enough to keep his lead but drifting just, and I mean just, high enough so that Wakim can’t slingshot around him. Chris tries to get by, coming so close his front tire starts climbing over Luis’ rear tire, but sees it’s hopeless and backs off as Luis crosses the checkered line. Conrad takes third and Kevin follows him. Wes Richardson never gave up and takes fifth. The crowd takes a breath!
This was definitely Luis Espinoza’s best race of the year.
Third Best Race of ‘05’
June 4, 2005 Race #10
This race was a barn burner! There was a special vibe in the summer evening air as the VRA Senior Sprints had run a Green White Checker, that is, a perfect 20 laps from start to finish without yellow or red, no stops from beginning to end! Ron Butler, at a trim and fit seventy one years old, bested the entire field to take his first Senior Main Event. Now as the VRA lined up for their 30 lap main event, no one considered the possibility that they could also run a Green White Checker.
At the green, Wakim got on this one early. Blake and Luis looked like they were having the time of their lives as they slugged it out. Kierce was also in the hunt. Now Wakim is starting to pass the back markers. He was passing easily until he gets to Wes Richardson who is not giving it up. At every turn he is blocking Wakim as the others are catching up. Now we are all in heavy traffic, the track is going to dry slick and every moment has potential for a crash.
The front runners are slicing and dicing the crowd as they chase each other, Wakim, Miller, Hermansder, Espinoza and fierce Kierce (started 14th)! Blake Miller has now inherited the task of getting past Richardson which stymies his efforts to catch Wakim. All of the things that could have happened never did. Against all odds and logic, the race is Green White Checker with an exhausted and exhilarated Chris Wakim taking the checkered flag.
On the podium, all the drivers acknowledge the special circumstances, the great track and the skill of all the drivers. Kevin Kierce nails it when he pays tribute to Senior Sprint winner, seventy one year old Ron Butler. “That man ought to be an inspiration to everybody, don’t ever give up!”
Trivia question: How long does it take a 360 Sprint to run 30 laps in Ventura? Chris Wakim did it in 6 minutes, 34 seconds.
Second Best Race of ‘05’
July 30, 2005 Race #16
At the end of July, the VRA racers took to the road for the first showdown in the heralded Bandit/VRA Grand Slam. This was a four race series where we got meet our neighbors to the north and share our tracks. We pulled into Hanford’s King Speedway on a blazing hot Saturday. Strange sensation to walk through pits filled with unfamiliar cars and faces. After qualifying rounds (which featured a spectacular bike recovery by Tim Moon), we were ready for the first showdown between the Bandits and the VRA.
Under the warm central valley air, Ventura heavyweights Kevin Kierce and Chris Wakim are in the second row as the green flag came down.
Early laps put Australian Bandit Peter Murphy up front, chased by Clark Templeman III and Greg Porte. Eventually however, Kevin Kierce had worked his way to third and pushed Porte to fourth. Murphy and Templeman looked untouchable, having led from the get go.
As we enter the final five laps Kevin Kierce seems to be standing on his pedal. He is bouncing as he hits the bumps and the berms and you can almost see his resolve forming. He is so hard on the gas that he wills his car past Templeman and Murphy, taking the lead. Suddenly we are yellow and the restart has Kierce, Murphy and Templeman. The backstretch gets very physical with Murphy trying to muscle back the lead by banging tires with Kierce. Kierce could care less; he must be able to hear all the Ventura locals in the stands screaming as the last laps unwind. Murphy tries to get under him, tries to get over him, tries everything but the fact is he can’t even catch him. Kevin drives a perfect final lap and takes the checkered flag.
After the race Peter Murphy recounts how he was “leading the whole race, just minding my own business, doing ok, when where in the hell did this yellow car come from!”
One of the most physical and inspiring efforts of the year by Kevin Kierce.
Best Race of 2005
October 1, 2005 Race # 24
Blake Miller had led the points for most of the season. By September, he had a lock on the championship. He had earned the respect of the fans and his closest competitors. But something was still wrong. He was going to be champion by points, but it was a string of second place finishes that had put him ahead. “Always the bridesmaid, never the bride” he kept saying in his post race comments. With only a few races left, he was still hungry for something to define his year. On October 1, 2005, under a classic coastal Ventura fog, it all came together for Blake Miller.
Your top racers filled the first six rows, Conrad on the pole, Wakim to his right. Second row was Greg Taylor with Blake Miller to his right. Third row Rob Kershaw with Kevin Kierce riding shotgun. Luis Espinoza lurking just behind the herd.
When the green flag waved, Wakim took the front with Conrad clinging like lint. Suddenly Taylor’s car stalls and he rolls to a stop at the starting stand. He’s out and for some reason Luis Espinoza is also out. Now Kierce is on it, pulling past Miller and holding. Wakim, Conrad, Kierce, Miller. The track looks perfect, cool and damp. Kierce continues his charge, now taking Conrad as they pass the 15 lap mark. Wakim and Kierce are high, Conrad low, Miller uncharacteristically high on the bank.
Suddenly Conrad is back in second place but riding the berm so hard he bounces and stalls in turn 2. He’s going to the back after working so hard.
Wakim restarts with Kierce and Miller climbing all over him. Wakim and Kierce continue to hunt the highland; Miller now takes over the lowland and passes Kierce for second. Five laps to go and it is Wakim, Miller and Kierce. Wakim has led almost the entire race but Blake Miller isn’t looking for second tonight. It’s the classic high line versus the bottom, Wakim lifting as he comes out of turn two, Miller’s wheels spinning for grip on that bottom berm. They are eyeball to eyeball coming down the back and suddenly, with two laps to go, Miller passes in turn 4 and leads down the front straightaway. Now Wakim is cashing all his chips, flinging out of every corner in an attempt to take back the lead. But the wily Blake Miller knows what he has to do as he takes the white flag. Extreme acceleration out of turn 2 down the back, high at first to foil Chris’s high line, but drop down just before turn 3 to prevent Chris from getting under him. That’s exactly what Chris tried to do, but now he has to check up and lose speed. After an entire race of leading by going to the top, Wakim made the final turn of the race on the bottom.
Blake Miller took the checkered flag and the season on skill, guts and strategy. Wakim and Kierce were the first to rush over and congratulate him.
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