surfnsprint

Race Day 14

July 22, 2006

They say I am prone to hyperbole and exaggeration, so let me go off here. I have seen some cool things in my life. I saw the Beatles at Dodger Station. I have drifted through Glacier Bay National Park seated on the bow of a ship drinking hot grog. I have swum out to Waimea Bay and photographed Darrick Doerner as he paddled into a thirty foot wave. But perhaps one of the greatest sights I’ve seen is when Greg Taylor takes that red #7 car and completely dominates the Ventura Raceway. I saw two races last night, there was Greg “Full Throttle” Taylor and then there was everybody else. When Greg gets out front on a clean track with a monster engine, he gets so gone he exists alone, spinning laps like some ancient Chumash dream weaver. I just think it’s the most beautiful thing….

red number 7 that would be Greg Taylor

photo: Dave Wolf

Quick trip through the pits:

I see Trimble’s back and that looks like a new car. Troy is back in #11 and he looks a little tired. He and Raney traded sleep for an engine party. I grab Rick Hendrix and ask him why the switch from the seniors to the VRA. He says that was his first intention and once the senior’s point race went away from him, he decided to get back on the original plan. Heidi Tresler is getting some help from Biggie trying to figure out why her ride is going backwards. Jimmy Crawford is back in the TwisterWest.com number #17. Somebody else is suiting up over by the #1 school car. Geez Cory, do you have a waiting list for those things? Saw Andrew Greiman helping his friends in the pony corral. Says he’ll be here for the Fair races, in the meantime he’s mining gold up in the Santa Maria area. Oliver is a no show; I hear he’s at Manzanita getting in some sun. Prosser is missing in action. Wiley is here. I got to meet the incredibly cool kiwi known as the Buzzard. He has agreed to cover for me the next time I am dragged away from the track. Get ready for the Buzzard’s beak.

VRA Sprint Car Heat Races

Heat one had last weeks hellcat Hobie Conway on the pole, but it was Brian Camarillo and Steve Conrad who were on the gas. Decisive driving put Brian in front, then Conrad, then Brian’s dad Billy, then Hobie. Michael Trimble passed Hobie for fourth when suddenly Billy spun in two. On the restart, Trimble again passed Conway with some aggressive driving. First father, now son as Brian Camarillo spins in two! That makes it Conrad, Trimble, Conway and Victor Davis (banged up but unbowed!).

Heat Two was loaded with talent. Tom Schneider on the pole with Espinoza on his shoulder. Espinoza took it into turn one, followed by Schneider and Greg Taylor. Behind them Richard McCormick and Kevin Kierce were racing for fourth when they got in the wall at turn two. Both out! On the restart Greg looks hooked up and chases down Espinoza for the lead. Schneider is holding third and Kruse school driver Zak Hawthorne is fourth (don’t really know anything about Zak, somebody help me out!). Jim Thomson was in the hunt but came up empty handed. There’s nothing I hate more than a sprint car on the hook; the yellow #2 leaves the track. It was the beginning of the end for Kevin’s night.

Heat three featured a magnificent battle between Jeremy Ellertson and Troy Rutherford. Angel Figueroa was fast in third chased by Dennis Rodriquez. That all held for a while, Dave Lidren (who? help me out!) is having car problems in the Agromin 10c. Suddenly the high speed match between Troy and Jeremy is over when Ellertson spins coming out of three! Two laps to finish, we are green, white, checker with Rutherford, Figueroa, Rodriquez and Nock on the last lap. Determined Jeremy Ellertson actually got on Nock on the last lap and stole it fair and square coming out of four! Awesome.

Heat four was all about Rick Hendrix. Shot out of a cannon. Joe Henderson and Wes Richardson are solid in second and third. Jimmy Crawford has dusted off the 17c and is getting it figured out. He has last week’s winner Chris Wakim on his butt, but he’s handling it. The last five laps are unchanged, finishing Hendrix, Henderson, Richardson and Crawford. Wakim will join Kierce and the Camarillo’s in the B Main. Be there.

the inscrutable, enigmatic and fast Hobie Conway

photo: shootnsprint

VRA Junior Midget Main Event

From the crowd reaction, I’d have to say that people like these little backfires. Charlie Butcher took an early lead, followed by Chris Olson and Ramon Rivas. Erich Loesch spins in turn one and after the restart again in turn two. He’s out, but the 7 car driven by Ramon Rivas is on the move. He passes Olson for the second spot and going into the final lap its Butcher, Rivas, Olson and Taylor Wright. Some spectacular last moment strategy by Rivas and he takes the lead to the applause of the crowd. Michaela Stanton and Christian Copley both had car problems. Copley is second in points behind Ramon Rivas. I promise we’ll get some photos up soon of these speed devils.

VRA Mini Dwarf

Sparkplug Austin Figueroa continues to dominate this exciting first year series! He tore out of turn two on the first lap with the lead and never relinquished it. Although it was only twelve laps, all eight cars finished the main event and the ending was a nail biter! The whole race had run Figueroa, Tommy Velasquez, Tanner Kershaw and Chase Lippert in that order. But there was an exciting battle for second when Tanner almost nicked Velasquez at the finish line. I think they had to get a photo confirmation on that! Crowd is digging this action! I’m not being facetious, this class has a lot of fans.

VRA Semi Main

In this twelve lap, four transfer event, you have heavies Kevin Kierce, Chris Wakim and Billy Camarillo. Chris is up front, Kevin and Billy in the back. Naylor has spritzed the track and it can only be described as cautious. Jim Thomason starts in the front row and he grabs the lead. Wakim is on him, Nock also in pursuit. Guy Woodward is running fourth. In the back I start seeing Kierce move forward, but he is way back there and this is only twelve laps. Wakim finally nicks Thomson and takes the front position. It’s Wakim, Thomson, Nock and Woodward. Kierce is up to seventh when Heidi Tresler does a curly q in two. On the restart, I am thinking about points. The casual observer doesn’t realize that Kevin has worked his way up to third in points. Not transferring out of this semi event is a small earthquake in the pitched point’s race! I’m not the only one watching. But it’s a green, white, checker and two laps can’t get it done. It’s Wakim way out, Thomson, Nock and Woodward. For the first time this season, Kevin Kierce will not be entertaining the main event crowd.

IMC Modifieds Main Event

For once, the Mods got a perfect track delivered by the sprints, instead of vice versa. It was slick when they held the sprint b main, now the conditions were just right for hungry mods. Last weeks spin fest was a dirty old memory as they tore up a terrific main for the fans. It was a packed house, they were double wide and ten deep at the green. Gary Curtis led Rick Rodarte and Randy Gens (someone call 911!) for the first few laps. David Addamo was also there along with Rick Johnston. Debris on the track and we are yellow. On the restart, Curtis was looking unbeatable although Rodarte was giving it a go. Here comes Randy McGraw tip toe up behind them, he sneaks past both Gens and Addamo! This trail looks good from the top to the bottom and they are using every inch of it. John Uccellini gets broken and we are yellow. It’s still Curtis and Rodarte although now McGraw is swinging high and slingshots his way past Rodarte. I look further back and I see Jack “Passing Thru” Parker just getting tore up. The middle of a modified pack is a tough place to be! Like a lynch mob! Up front it’s a frontier justice with Curtis, McGraw and Addamo when suddenly the gallows floor drops out in turn three. I don’t know who was guilty, but it seemed like everybody is strung up except McGraw who was on the high ridge and fleeing. Now it’s McGraw and I don’t know who because there are so many lapped cars. I figure Ryan Roath and Steve Smith are there because the heat sheet says so. In the back, Collier was in hot pursuit with Brad Prows and Jack Parker and they are three wide. But it’s too late, this place is looking like a train and Randy McGraw is looking like Jesse James! It’s McGraw, Roath, Smith, Prows and Curtis! Later I’m on top of the tower and I can see Jack Parker down in the pits and he is carefully examining his car for damage. Like I say, this is a tough crowd. He is still point’s leader, but it’s thin as beef jerky.

Randy McGraw escaped the ambush in turn three and drove it home

photo: Dave Wolf

VRA Senior Sprints Main Event

The seniors kick in with Ron Bach and Steve Stasa charging the front. John Richards and Bruce Douglas are pounding away when Stasa drifts and takes Bach with him. They regain their footing, but they have lost position. Now it’s Richards, Willey Miller and Douglas just pounding the turns. Bill Leonard spins top a stop on the front straight away and comes to a complete stop. Willey Miller is rocketing out of four and almost takes him out save for some skillful driving. On the restart Douglas is up front and looking good! Willey passes Richards and is now pressuring Douglas. The driving is ferocious, almost vicious I remember thinking. Suddenly Richards gets sideways and takes out Alderman, Stasa and Porter. Porter and Stasa are gone for good. About here Leonard is also black flagged for a flat tire; he gives Alderman a love pat on the butt as he heads out the back? All of this puts Bach back up to third, following Miller following Douglas on the restart. More ferocious racing, Miller passes Douglas in four (using as much of the infield as I’ve ever seen Cliff allow) and Bach says that works for me and does the same on the next lap. There are five laps to go and the rest is details. The two wily past champions teach Bruce a few new tricks on the way to the checker. It’s Miller over Bach by barely a car length, Douglas and the ever present Tim Moon in fourth. What a bunch of kick ass punks!

Pony Main

Man, this track looks good for the Pony Stocks! It starts clean and fast with Paul Johnson and Steve Klingberg out front. Jack Trigg and Jack Hoyt were also on it when suddenly Klingberg catches a wheel and goes infield. Now it’s Hoyt up front with Joel Chavez trying to run him down. They get past the first round of lapped traffic and running clear and even. They are bumper to bumper for most of the race but Joel just couldn’t get around the “Jack Attack”. Now they hit more lapped traffic, Jack clears it but Joel gets stuffed behind some cars and loses ground. It finishes “Jack Attack’ Hoyt, Joel Chavez, Jack Trigg and Jim Evans. Hoyt, Evans and Chavez are all fighting the point’s battle.

VRA Sprints Main Event

Ok, its 10:30 on Sunday night, the kids are asleep, the wife’s watching Desperate Housewives and I’m out of gas! Here are the headlines! For starters, Espinoza spun coming out of three and set off a reaction that put Conway and Schneider in the turn four wall. I heard Luis was tapped from behind. On the restart, Trimble got in front with Rutherford and Taylor duking it out behind him. Steve Conrad comes out of his cave and decides to rejoin the VRA. Taylor dispatches Rutherford and begins applying pressure to Trimble. Brandon Thompson takes the yellow brick road and we are restarting for the last time this evening? Now Greg Taylor has his passport in order and when the green drops he just gets on his jet and splits. See the first paragraph. For the rest of them, it was an exciting battle between Conrad (on fire), Rutherford, Crawford, Wakim, Trimble and Espinoza. They finished second, third, ect… in that order. I checked to see if Kierce had finished in the top ten even though wasn’t on the track! He’s that fast, but nope, I guess not…Nock, Richardson and Rodriquez were all top ten. Wakim had the most passes with twelve. So Luis hangs onto the points lead, followed by Rutherford and Crawford. Taylor moves up to fourth, Kevin drops to fifth and here comes Wakim and Conrad. We have our own race to the Cup and it’s tighter than my last client. Greg Taylor’s win give him thirty main event wins at Ventura Raceway and that’s a record! When this youngster is finished it may be a record for the ages. I for one am glad Greg Taylor chooses to race here and extend my personal congratulations and appreciation! How freaking good is Greg Taylor! How freaking good is all of this!

One last note, next season Jim Naylor will celebrate his thirtieth year of promoting races at Ventura Raceway! That’s right, THIRTY CONSECUTIVE YEARS. Tell some of the guys on the message board to stick that in their pipe and smoke it! More about that anniversary later. Thirty is a nice number.

it’s a family tradition; Alecia, Greg and Rick

photo: shootnsprint