I’ll Notify Dave Darland That You’re Coming
Brudder Brett and I ride together so we pulled into Carrow’s after last night’s race. Had a delightful breakfast with Mike Cook and a bunch of his fast friends. Mike told me an interesting story. Back in about 1994 he was racing Perris with a bunch of cronies like Williams, Marcum and others. Perris was just a chicken track back then. Troy Rutherford showed up and he was just a punk kid, all shy and nervous. He says to Cook “Man, I don’t know any of these drivers and I hope I don’t get in the way.” Apparently it was his first 360 race out there. “Don’t worry,” Mike tells the kid, “you’ll be fine”. Troy went out and spanked everybody….
All Thrill No Fill! Greg Taylor Has His Eye on Where He’s Going
Naylor says he’s doesn’t always understand what I’m writing about but he loves it. Works for me, Jimmy, let’s rip! Jack Parker parked a second IMCA Modified Championship right next to his first one. It was a scant seven points ahead of tonight’s main event winner, Randy McGraw, but it got the job done. Parker loves the quality of the competition and boy is he right! Randy McGraw, Steve Smith, Damon Redman, Austin Rodarte and a host of others destroyed the track this year. As many as twenty-three cars have been pitting lately which bodes well for next year. Last night was a nail biter for Parker, he got gathered up early in the race and did some damage. He paced it for the rest of the race, counting cars and keeping his nose clean. No such strategy for Randy McGraw, he took his ninth place start and started in for the front. Randy Miller had a headlock on the lead and was holding off Rob Green and Brad Prows. Prows broke and had to split. Rick Rodarte and son Austin Rodarte took that spot. It was running Miller, Green, Austin Rodarte and Rick Rodarte. Damon Redman was again shaking the ground and moved up to fourth. McGraw has moved from ninth to seventh. A couple more yellows and its now Miller, Green, Austin Rodarte and Redman. McGraw has moved to sixth and Parker has the eleventh spot. “Awesome Austin” makes a dramatic pass on Miller coming out of four and takes the lead. Miller is second and McGraw has slugged his way to third. Redmond is fourth. We are slinging into the final laps and you can feel McGraw’s intensity. Parker is locked as the field drops to twelve. He’s just smiling and keeping his car on the road. But the action at the front is intense. McGraw passes Miller for second and the white flag is out. Austin and McGraw are drag racing down the back and sliding through the final turns. Coming out of four McGraw muscles his car next to Austin and seems to carry him across the finish line. Race ends McGraw, Austin Rodarte, Damon Redman and Randy Miller. On the victory stand, McGraw is flanked by his dedicated, stoic and sharp looking pit crew. In the point’s championship, McGraw follows Parker in second, Steve Smith in third and Damon Redman riding to fourth. I keep trying to hook up with Jack for a decent portrait; we’ll tackle him again next week with Vic and Del. Hi Tech makes it happen. The fans send out props to all you hard working drivers and crews. Landmark year!
McGraw Wins the Battle, Loses the War
As Rob (Buzzard) pointed out in Saturday’s program, senior sprints are raging. Last night’s main event featured the skilled and passionate driving Ventura fans have come to expect. It also demonstrated the danger of sprint car driving when Bob Alderman took a particularly bad crash in turn one. Bob walked away from it but I heard he later went to the hospital for a check up. Bob, take two aspirin and call your fans in the morning. Racing got underway with the incredibly consistent Wiley Miller taking the lead. Brother Danny was on his case with Ron Butler scooting right along. Bob Alderman was in the mix and got one up on Butler. Wiley and Danny were having a hoot in the front and Alderman was starting to mix with them. Jeff Culver, longtime racer and college professor, was also coming on strong. I was sitting with the Buzz and his friends in the grandstand and we were focused on Culver’s strength. Stassa had started ninth but he was also up to fifth. About halfway through the race I think Alderman was trying to go around a lapped car when his universe exploded. He got turned around in turn one and caught the chain link with his rear end. It tore the tank off the car but wouldn’t let go. With a horrendous screeching that fence sucked him in and spun him up and over. It seemed he was airborne the whole length of the turn before he hit the billboards and was released. With parts flying through the air, the car’s broken frame landed right side up and quietly rolled down the track incline until it hit the berm. We were red and it was a long nervous wait in the stands until Bob climbed out. With characteristic Alderman aplomb, he refused a ride in the ambulance and walked off rolling and shrugging his shoulders. Classic. Wiley got back on the gas and he’s hard to catch in the open. Danny gave it his all but had to settle for second. Culver had third wrapped up but overdrove turn two in the last laps, giving Brian Williams (I never even saw him coming) the spot followed by Steve Stassa in fourth. Ever present John Richards took that top five slot. Except for that one misstep, Jeff Culver was looking big. I guess you could say the same for Alderman. Hope you’re both feeling better. I don’t think anyone is going to catch Danny Miller.
The Quiet Samaritan Bob Alderman Right Before He Locked In
Joel Chavez didn’t complete a lap last night but he is still sitting on a mountain of points. Randall Dougan took it home for the win, his third of the season. David Peterson took second and Trevor Fitzgibbon claimed third. Joel has put in the time, showing up for all ten races this season, taking an amazing five wins. David Peterson is the only other driver to make all ten races. He hasn’t won a main but he is still second in points with seven top fives. There are two more races to go for this class. Peterson, Mike Frazier and Brent Underwood will all be in it for a main event win before the season ends.
Randall Dougan Wins in Sport Compacts
We had thirty cars in the hunt, weeded down to your top twenty. Morris tells me “now we’ll know what there is to know”….Troy on the pole with Josh Ford to his right. Point leaders Kierce on row three and Taylor on row seven. Troy got out front and that Raney was gone from go. Josh Ford hard on the gas in second, Brian Camarillo looking very solid in third and Kevin Kierce right into fourth. Dwayne Marcum gets sideways in lap two turn four and Chris Wakim has nowhere to go. He plows in to Marcum, breaks his front end and tips over. About ten feet from the spot where he flipped last week. Chris is the middle of some weird karmic redistribution program that’s running on another network in a reverse parallel world. I say reverse because few people have provided as many thrills for the fans or as much help for the drivers as Chris Wakim. Whatever, Chris keeps coming back. Marcum and Wakim out. Green again and everybody starts high. The rain that almost killed the race has made the track sticky and fast. Now Ford and Kierce start running the bottom. Rutherford in control, Ford wobbles and Camarillo is second, Kierce third. Eric Severson is in his 36 car and moves to fifth. Kierce and Ford are battling and Ford moves back to third. Rutherford out front, Camarillo second, Ford in third and Kierce is working the bottom and the top. Severson with an exciting pass on the bottom takes fourth from Kierce. We are now in traffic but everybody can hear Greg Taylor coming from the back. Its Rutherford, Camarillo and Ford battling for second, Kierce again in third and Severson in fourth. Taylor is now fifth from thirteenth. He’s looking for Rutherford! Camarillo (in the best drive I’ve ever seen him in) finally falls to Ford. Rutherford starts hoarding some real estate, Ford is one fast driver but he’s not going to catch him. We get some debris from some contact and we are yellow with five to go. The line up is Rutherford, Ford, Kierce, Camarillo and Taylor. Naylor is commenting on how fast these boys are traveling. “As fast as you can go here!” We are green and Troy is the fastest of all. Ford follows him across the finish, Taylor trumps Kierce and Severson gets by Camarillo. Rutherford, Ford, Taylor, Kierce and Severson. Super fast.
Rutherford For His Third Main Event Win In A Row
Bruce Douglas Contemplates a Blown Engine
I’m not sure I got that story about Rutherford exactly right, but he knows everybody now and he’s still whipping em! I really like seeing Josh Ford when he comes to Ventura. This guy is dedicated and hard-core. He was gracious but I think second place is tough for him. Very competitive! I should also mention Camarillo (brilliant), Dennis Rodriquez (huge from the back), Clark Templeman (most passes from twentieth), Jonathan Henry and Steve Conrad were all top ten. It was a tough night for a lot of people. Bruce Douglas threw an engine in the heat race. We talked about Alderman, Marcum and Wakim. Track had a lot of blood, sweat and tears. Brandon Thomson had a nasty flip in his heat that knocked him out. He’s trying to scrape together a couple of dollars for the Oval Nationals. Skip a frappacino and send him a few bucks. You gotta a lot of heart, Brandon. I’ll notify Dave Darland that you’re coming.
Sponsor Info for Brandon Thomson and the 2007 Oval Nationals
Josh Ford At Home in Ventura
: 6:03 PM
