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A lot of great Ventura racers returned to form last night, including Derek Buckley, Ron Bach, Bruce Douglas and Troy Rutherford. But for this writer, it was a fifth place finish that tore me up. I don’t care what anyone else thinks, Kevin Kierce is the gutsiest driver in the Ventura Racing Association. Smoked his heat race, and then washed it down with a bourbon main event. Started third row, roared towards the front, drove into a tight foxhole with Ronnie Case and had to go the very back. Bring it on, he thinks, works his way back to fifth passing such great drivers such as Steve Conrad. More fun than a fan can shake a fist at! Holy Saint Dale, if the biggest racing monster of all time showed up at this track and asked who wanted a piece, it would be Kevin Kierce stepping up! I bet this guy races his neighbor putting the trash out! And that was just fifth place……..

A beautiful fog enveloped Ventura’s Seaside Park. Soft drifting bands of light and moisture played across the track as fans enjoyed another incredible night of “back to our roots” racing (You’re right about that, Cliff!). I’m up in the tower with Mike Truex who is slamming down more incredible Loudpedal video. Frank Bigham is also there monitoring the couple of dozen “in car cameras” he has spinning around the track. Two floors down Richie Wohlers is covering the action for the Ventura County Star. Tim Truex is filming over in turn one, praying nobody flips into his camera tower. Dave Wolf is down on the tracking locking in the digital action shots with a few other photographers watching and learning. It’s like we’re all wired together, talking, laughing, sharing, emailing and broadcasting the good news to the nation. Red hot racing going down in Ventura town! As Tom “Thunderhead” Troutz wrote in this week’s program “today’s local racing is a lot better than the Big Leagues of Nascar, ect…….” (You’re right about that, Tom!) In your face, reach out and touch it, sit in the stands and talk to your driver racing! Now, about last night…….

Quick trip through the pits:

Had to check out the VRA Junior Dwarf Cars. Faster times and cleaner lines. Spoke to Riley Helland and Chris Noe, two Agromin team drivers. Chris was fresh back in the pits from a B Main victory. They are as proud as buttons of their cars.

Took some photos of Jimmy Crawford (number 1 with a Bullet) but the heavy fog really washed out the colors. I hate flash lighting, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do….

I heard Greg Taylor is going for his thirtieth VRA main event win at the tender age of twenty four but he laughed and completely denied it…….

Saw Derek Buckley and chatted a bit about his heat race. He was on a mission and blew out the competition. This is the Derek Buckley we all know and love. Fast and furious, smiling and laughing…

VRA Heat Races

Chris Wakim got pill #1 and was on the pole for heat one. He and Wes Richardson shared that front row and got down the road with it. Chris was hooked up and gone. Wes was doing pretty good until he caught a tire and suddenly fell back. Prosser, Crawford and Ellertson were bunched up as they chased Chris. They finished in that order.

Heat two had Jeff Oliver (this guy is driving in from San Diego) on the pole, Ronnie Case to the outside. Oliver was looking smart and aggressive but here comes Troy Rutherford. Greg Taylor and Billy Camarillo are also in this heat and they’re not interested in lying down. From the back, Taylor is in third by the third lap. Some fantastic wheel to wheel racing is happening with Case and Taylor. Camarillo uncharacteristically spins in turn two. On the new green Taylor and Oliver spin and Taylor goes to the back. Doesn’t matter, three laps later they finish with Rutherford, Case, Taylor and Camarillo.

Kevin Kierce ruled heat three, taking the pole position and beating the track over the head with it. Some exciting second and third place action between Luis Espinoza and Steve Conrad. Angel Figueroa was taking care of fourth place. A late yellow gave Luis hope for catching Kevin, but the rest of the race ran smooth with an evenly spaced Kierce, Espinoza, Conrad and Figueroa.

Heat four featured the return of Derek Buckley. Harper, Hendrix, Wade and Brian Camarillo were leading the pack but Buckley had a yearning. He was up to third by the time Camarillo spun in two. On the new green, Harper worked up to the front and Buckley was second behind him. Nock and Henderson were now in the fight. Buckley would have been further faster but Harper was doing a pretty good job of stuffing him on the straights. Buckley did what he had too; he went high on turn four, got on the gas and passed right at the white flag (I think the entire pit stands were holding their breath). Derek took his victory lap followed by Harper, Nock and Henderson. Exciting display of verve and nerve! Best kind of racing.

Senior Sprint Main Event

Stasa had an aggressive lead at the start with Bruce Douglas tearing after him. It soon settled into Stasa and Douglas wrestling, with Bach and Bill Badger going at it behind them. This was a better track then the seniors usually get and they looked like they were having a good time, there was action everywhere. Stasa and Douglas were side by side, further back it was Bach and Badger. Bach gets past Badger and now Rick Hendrix is all over Badger.

Stasa is getting the best of Douglas and now Bach passes Douglas. Bach is looking all business as he gets Stasa in his sights. Suddenly Stasa drifts slightly and Bach takes him also. Stasa now drifts completely in turn one and gathers up Hendrix. Bam! I can see Hendrix pounding his steering wheel. Tough break for Stasa too, he was fast. On the restart, a determined Douglas is haunting front runner Bach. These two are in a real race, with Bob Alderman now in third thanks to Stasa’s drift. Bruce Douglas is completely on Bach at the white flag. Bach drives low and tries to protect the bottom, over steers slightly and bounces off the berm; Douglas is there like a thief and takes it away coming out of two. A clean heist, a dash for the border and these winners cross, with Alderman and Ron Butler behind them. Really an important win for Bruce, long time coming.

Derek Buckley unchained

VRA Senior Dwarf Main

This was a really great race with maybe only one yellow. Ed Niedzwiecki and Bill Van Praag battled from the first lap to the last. Linda Taylor and Dave Revard were in it until Dave spun in turn one, gathering up James Soltis. John Lynch filled his fourth position and kept the rhythm going. Tom Bellinger was working his way back in and passing Lynch and Taylor (Taylor leaves with car trouble). But the best pass came in the final lap on the back straight away with Van Praag passing Niedzwiecki and taking the win. So foggy it was hard to see what happened in that final pass. It was Van Praag, Niedzwiecki, Bellinger and Conditt at the flag stand.

VRA Pro Dwarf Main

Another great dwarf race, the front runners emerged early with Jeff Shelton, Carl Behmer and Brian Saxton in the hunt. Behmer gets sideways in two and loses ground. Saxton and Rob Anderson advance to second and third and then all hell broke loose! Over in turn three it appeared Behmer ran into Saxton. Then Chuck Lippert came up on the mess and took out his front axle! On the restart, Saxton stalled and left the track. From there it was a battle between Shelton, Behmer, Anderson and Curt Cook. Those four were in tight quarters the balance of the race. Rob Anderson was giving it his all but couldn’t catch Shelton. It was a close, tight and exciting finish at the flag as they crossed.

VRA Sprint Car Main Event

Despite the fog, I went back to turn one to watch this one with my family and friends. We were all pumped up as the double wide streamed to the starting line. Harper and Espinoza were on the front row and they wasted no time. Kierce drove right to the bottom and that put him towards the front. All the fury dissipated as Brian Camarillo and Donald Houghton mixed in turn four. On the restart, everyone was on the bottom, both Harper and Espinoza looking strong. Kierce again drove to the bottom at turn one but Ronnie Case closed the hole at the last second and they twirled. To the back where they argued over who should sit in front. On the restart Nock spins in turn two. Restart.

Although it is almost ten o’clock, now we are racing. Troy Rutherford is swinging high, moving up from the fourth row. Same for Taylor who has worked up from the fifth row. Although Harper has done a yeoman’s job of holding off the pack, he now falls to Rutherford, Espinoza, Prosser and Taylor. Rutherford looks like he has the car tonight, decisive and powerful driving by Troy. Espinoza is on it, constantly threatening, never catching. But now Greg Taylor has passed Wakim and then Prosser. It’s running Rutherford, Espinoza, Taylor, Prosser and Wakim! Wakim is definitely on the move and slide jobs Prosser in turn two. Prosser drops down under Wakim on the back straight away and their wheels hook. That throws Chris up into the wall; he bounces back on the track and is immediately rammed by a combination of Joe Henderson, Billy Camarillo and Larry Lloyd. The track goes red as they try to sort out the cluster. Those four are out; Wakim and Camarillo’s point chase goes in the freezer; Prosser leaves the track a lap or two later, probably from collateral damage.

On the new green, Jimmy Crawford shows up for the party. You still have a clean lead by Rutherford, followed by Espinoza, followed by Taylor and now it’s Crawford in fourth. And back from hell is Kevin Kierce, in the fifth slot and driving like the devil! The high speed round robin continues, with both Rutherford and Taylor dropping to the bottom sporadically. Taylor slowly gets around Espinoza as they all negotiate the lapped traffic. As the fans lean back in their seats, clenching the edge of their seats, Taylor is looming large behind Rutherford. Closer, Closer, Closer….. As the white flag drops, Taylor is giving it his all but Rutherford has the car and the skill. At the checker, Troy bests Greg by half a car. Espinoza earns third and consistent Crawford takes fourth.

In the pits, there is a wake for Wakim’s frame, it is history (yes, Karl, I did check and this frame is history!). A line of people file past the carcass and express their condolences. But it’s just bent metal, spent money, doesn’t mean much. My good friend is rueful but healthy. I see Joe Henderson and Billy Camarillo and they are both ok. That’s all that matters when you crash; that you are safe.

One last thing, Angel Figueroa had the most passes and finished eighth (unless you count Kierce and Case going to the back and then coming back). And I got through the whole article without mentioning Father’s Da………