You Are All Fierce Kierce
It’s a well-known fact that Father Junipero Serra intended to found his third California Mission in Ventura back in 1782. But he found the Indians so wild, so dangerous and so fierce he wisely hit the road and took it up to Mission San Antonia. It was one particular tribe in Ventura that gave him so much grief. They lived with their backs to the Pacific and kept their face in the wind. They were so protective and vigilant of their native grounds that when Serra came back eleven years later he was forced to found San Buenaventura Mission much further back from the ocean. The natives protected their tribal grounds for racing and it eventually become Ventura Raceway. That tribe was known as L’Kierce. Over time, they became known as the Fierce Kierce…
All Thrill No Fill: It’s Been A Tough Year But The Fans Get It, Ronnie Case
VRA Senior Dwarf drivers hit a track preserved by trademark Ventura weather. Cool, damp and perfect. Bill Van Pragg busted from the outside front, but Gary Conditt quickly took over when Van Pragg got knocked infield. John Lynch and Ed Niedzwiecki were in the chase. Niedzwiecki tried to work an outside line as Conditt and Lynch hugged the bottom but the track was too fast. Steve Addison got turned around in turn two for the only yellow. On the green flag Conditt again picked it up again. John Lynch did a brilliant job of hanging with him, but neither he nor the master Niedzwiecki was gonna catch Conditt tonight. It finished Conditt, Lynch and Niedzwiecki for Gary Conditt’s second main event win of the season. Gary thanks Naylor for a great racetrack. The Senior Dwarfs return on November 17 for the final race, but not even Richard Petty is going to catch Ed Niedzwiecki.
Gary Conditt Can Handle The Dirt
VRA Pro Dwarf Main Event launched Marc Lippert and Ben Sheen from the front row. They got together down in turn four and both drifted to the infield. That suited Jim Scribellito who took over first and he was being nudged along by Cory Pollock and Chuck Lippert. Marc Lippert was trying to get back in the game when he spun in turn one and now he is gone. Pity. We go green and it’s Scribellito, Pollock and Chuck Lippert and Chuck’s really pushing. Now Sheen takes his second spinner and he’s gone too! Scribellito, Pollock and Lippert hit it again and Chuck Lippert is really trying the crack the sweet spot. But here comes Brent Stevens (most passes from the seventh row) and he’s on a mission. Trailing Scribellito in the point’s battle, he isn’t ready to throw in the towel. Holy radiator water, Stevens is blazing. He passes Lippert for third and then has a heated battle with Pollock for second. He finally gets past Pollock but Scribellito can sense him coming. For the final laps it is smoking Dwarf car action as these two top talents go nuts on each other. Jim Scribellito hangs tough for first, Brent Stevens is second, Pollock, Lippert and Jeff Shelton round out your top five. Final flag falls on November 17th and I think Stevens could still catch that wily Scribellito! Be there!
Brent Stevens is Smiling But Don’t Get In Front Of Him
I took the long road down to the Kierce Racing Bunker and got to meet a few of the boys. One of the best parts of this season has been getting to know Kevin, Bruce, Ray and the rest of the “never say die” crew. Kevin ran the top and the bottom this year, from the front to the back and back to the front again! The harder it was the better that K2 crew liked it. Kevin didn’t miss one race and never came to a race that didn’t get a thousand per cent. Fans got their money worth every night as this team took the hand they were dealt and played it to the end. Had a great time at the bunker but we missed a few important crew people. We’ll get them next time. I gotta tell you one story… Felix pulls out his wallet and shows me his ticket stub from the 1955 Indianapolis 500. That’s the historic race where Bill Vukovich (the Silent Serb, maybe the greatest racer of all time Ray says), was leading the race when he crashed and died. Felix has been carrying that ticket around in his wallet for fifty two years! EXCUSE ME, THAT’S HARDCORE. Just one of Kevin’s friends…..
That’s Bruce Collie, car owner and pit crew chief, on the left. Next to him is Ron Josett, father of up and coming driver Robby Josett. Seated with arms crossed is Greg Kirkor. Far in the background behind him is the well-spoken Justin Kierce. In front of Justin is Louie Klinou holding the Sprint Car Alley sign. Felix Christiano (and his tickets) sits to Louie’s right. Next is Kevin with car owner and inspiration Ray Swann standing to right of him. Next to him is Dick Sabo. Finally, that’s Bruce’s brother Meade (visiting from Virginia) on the far right. It was all about a couple of beers and a couple of stories.
Kid classes are out of control. I am stunned by the car counts; so many great kids and so many dedicated parents. Ventura is racing as far into the future as you can see. Tommy Velasquez, who’s sitting right behind Ricky Lewis in the point’s race, led Pistons around the track. Exciting class. I had dinner with Ricky’s parents. Rick Lewis started the first Ventura Raceway website and forum. Hey Ricky, your dad’s a pioneer in the new racing millennium and got me hooked up! Supercharger trophy went to Tyler Jerman, who is also leading points just slightly over Riley Helland. Jessica Clark held off Luke Boles for the VRA Junior Midgets main event win. Jessica is also holding a slight lead over Amanda Green in points. Sorry Jessica, I didn’t get a good car picture or portrait, I will get it covered on the 17th! Two to go! Special thanks to Mike Sweeny and the dedicated Ventura track crew. Thanks “raticalls6” for keeping those kids (and everybody else) safe. Sorry the article’s late!
Tommy Velasquez Gets It Done
Tyler Jerman Pauses For A Portrait
It’s Mike Knopf You Can Count On
VRA/Bandit Grand Slam hosted only two Bandits for the final event. Bandit Champion Jesse Mack and the always tough Mike Knopf showed up to race with the Ventura regulars. Cool rainy weather hurt the crowd attendance but provided an awesome track for the twenty-eight cars that did show. Two thousand smacks and serious bragging at stake for Greg Taylor, Jesse Mack, Josh Ford and Jonathan Henry. Phillip Stevenson throws the green flag. Focus veteran Gordon Edwards gets the jump but Jonathan Henry (from the second row) quickly gets by him. There is contact between Jesse Mack and Troy Rutherford that has Mack leaving the track with a severed brake line (he got back on the track later but it was over). We are yellow and Ronnie Case is also out the back. Restart has Rutherford and Taylor quickly getting past Edwards and taking second and third. Rutherford begins battling with Henry for first as Josh Ford shows up and starts in with Taylor. Taylor has his hands full as he balances his Grand Slam and VRA championship points. He needs to finish near the front for the Slam but he needs to finish period for the VRA points. Not sure what’s going through his mind as he’s out there power sliding with his friends. Ford takes third and starts in with Rutherford. It’s Henry, Rutherford, Ford and Taylor. Incredible down the back drama three wide as Henry holds off two of Ventura’s quickest. Rutherford slips to third then takes back second. Now Ford takes second again but we are yellow (Dwayne Marcum and Zak Hawthorne in turn two) and Ford goes back to third in the lineup. We kick it again but it’s another yellow with Knopf, Case and Richard McCormick clustered in two. There’s a wicked Halloween moon hanging in those wispy white clouds. Green means go, Ford and Rutherford again are assaulting Henry but the kid surrenders no quarter. Another muck up near turn-four with Wes Richardson, Bruce Douglas and Edwards. We are nine completed with twenty-one to go. It’s Henry, Ford and Rutherford. On the green, Rutherford storms, Ford bobbles and everything inverts for the top three. It’s Rutherford, Ford and Henry. Taylor also gets by Henry and your final top three have emerged with Rutherford leading Ford and Taylor. Yellow again when Bruce Douglas bikes and breaks. Fourteen laps to go and Troy takes charge. Perfect precision driving as he picks his lines while Ford and Taylor chase. I could watch these three all night. They rip off laps as Luis Espinoza, Kevin Kierce and Henry are dueling for fourth. Henry is giving it right back, again displaying the rookie talent we saw at the beginning of the season. Nic Faas’ car starts smoking and the crash crew is all over it. It’s our final yellow with seven to go. Ford is ferocious but Troy Rutherford is on a freaking roll. He looks unbeatable as he takes the checkered flag for the fifth time in six races. That may be some kind of Ventura record. For his injured crew to come back to Ventura this week and put this together, that shows some kind of grit and character. Josh Ford takes the bitter second (race and Grand Slam) and Greg Taylor’s third place finish locks the Grand Slam trophy and leaves him a breath away from the VRA Championship. Oh Henry hangs on to fourth and Luis Espinoza is top five. The hard chargers came from the back with Dennis Rodriquez going from twenty first to eleventh (most passes) and Rick Hendrix also impressive from eighteenth to ninth. In case I don’t get a chance to mention it before the season ends, Rick is a USAC Champion in three different classes. How cool to have a USAC Three Division Champ call Ventura Raceway home. I’m exhausted. Two more VRA races and we can all go to sleep for the winter. I need it!
Troy Rutherford Runs On Family
Last night at Ventura, Greg Taylor pulled down the 2007 Grand Slam Championship. It is the precursor to VRA Sprint Car Championship for 2007 which all expect Greg to win in the next few weeks. We’ll get to that. But right now I just want to acknowledge the guys that ran their hearts out but came up shy. At the end of the day I am just a fan. Fans come to see soul. Fans come to see drivers reach. I just want to know who made it fast! We are talking about Kevin Kierce’s determined and distinguished drive to second place. Did you see Brent Stevens’ huge effort all season long? How about Bill Van Praag never giving up? Randy McGraw, David Peterson, Austin Smith. These racers have DNA that doesn’t recognize second. Sometimes they just get caught in a world that is turning slower. Whatever. They made things matter. Thanks for protecting sacred ground. You are all Fierce Kierce.
1955 Indianapolis 500
: 7:32 PM
