surfnsprint
Friday, April 11, 2008
Satisfaction
Shades of Sleepy Trip! Ventura Raceway got in touch with its inner child on Saturday night. It was a beautiful cloudless night as twenty-one USAC future hall of fame midget drivers packed the pits. I walked the loading area as they staged for the main event. Chris Rahe, Mike Spencer, Josh Lakatos, Scott Pierovich, Nic Faas, Cory Kruseman, Garrett Hansen, Josh Ford and so many more. Everybody from Lance Jennings to the great Ricky Gaunt was in the stands. That inner child woke up, bit the nanny, jumped the monkey and tore apart the joint! Then the VRA Sprints took over and burned down what was left with maybe the best main event this year! It’s all here. Naylor at the helm, midgets out of control, sprints going nuts! We even have a picture of Josh Ford smiling! As the terminally cool “Flash” Redman says “Cover your beer, the race is on”….
All Thrill and No Fill
C.J. Sarna Enjoys Ventura Midget Racing At It’s Best
USAC Midget are coming to the beach four times this summer. Don’t even miss one race. It was C.J. Sarna on the pole but it was Josh Ford that took that front row and got out. I mean he is on the gas! Nick Faas comes flying in from the third row and settles into second. Garrett Hansen is running third with Cory Kruseman in fourth. Shakes out a little and we get a yellow with a party crowd in turn three. Henry Clarke is gathered up. Green with twelve completed and Kruseman gets under Hansen for third. It’s Ford, Faas, Kruseman and Hansen. Hansen battles with Josh Lakatos and slips to fifth. Another yellow as Chris Rahe spins to the infield. Seventeen laps completed. Green again and Ford has total control as his tires are smoking from speed. Faas and Kruseman are inches apart as Cory tries to get around him. Faas ain’t budging! Yellow again as Brent Camarillo spins in turn three. Green now as Ford draws perfect lines. Faas is so determined in second it’s unbelievable. Kruseman is trying everything but Faas won’t allow it. Now Joseph Fabozzi twists in turn four. There’s an even bigger mess in turn one with Rahe, Robby Josett, Shannon McQueen and C.J Sarna. Eleven to go. Brutal gang of three racing between Ford, Faas and the Kruser. Scott Pierovich has moved to fourth with Josh Lakatos in fifth. Josett spins in three and he’s gone. We launch for the last time and
Faas knows it’s now or never. He is on Ford like syrup on pancakes but Ford is flawless. Faas almost gets him on the front stretch but Ford holds his perfect line. Further back I see Pierovich pass Kruseman for third and a wheel banging Lakatos pass Hansen for fifth. Checkered flag pumps and its Ford, Faas, Pierovich, Kruseman and Lakatos for your top five. The taciturn Josh Ford has won his first USAC Midget Race. Skilled at sprints and with powerful showing at this year’s Chili Bowl, Josh Ford Motor sports is becoming a force in open wheel racing.
Josh Ford and Strawberry Fields Forever
Focus Fanatic Bowman
Naylor caps me at about eighteen hundred words so I gotta summarize some of these other races. Ford Focus had Alex Bowman running a beautiful race from the front row to the checkered flag. Hardworking Garret Hansen finished second with Walt Johnson in third. VRA Junior Focus Midgets featured Lance Butler back in the winner’s circle. Dennis Simunovich ran second with Harris Brooks in third. Rookie Maverick Gaunt ran all twenty laps to finish eighth. Hey kid, did you know your dad’s a legend? Tyler Edwards is hanging on to the points lead. VRA Junior Midgets finished with Jessica Clark in first, Michaela Stanton in second and Riley Helland in third. Didn’t catch Jessica in the awards ceremony; owe you a picture, Jessica! Kid’s class in the Pistons division showed Cameron McCaule in the winner’s circle with Zachary Gilmore in second, Oliver Blades in third. You all rip! Supercharger’s Class has Ricky Lewis in first for both race and points. Cody Major was solid in second, Devin McCree grabbing third. The road looks sunny and bright for all you young racers. Be sure to ignore the speed limits and make left turns only.
Cameron McCaule Is Hot As A Piston!
Mike and Rick
Some days in the pits the vibe is all wrong. And some days you just have the best time. Ran into Steve “Biggie” Watts and had a nice long chat. Biggie is working on some radical engine stuff that I would like to tell you about, but he would have to shoot me. Stay tuned for the revolution. Checked out and photographed Glimmer Twins Mike Spencer and Rick Hendrix in the late afternoon sun. Got to hang with Clark Templeman and Richie Rich. Forgot to tell Clark I’m one of his biggest fans. Took some pictures but we’re gonna hold back, I think we can do better. I met East Coast transplant Jessica Zemken. She is trying out West Coast sprint car racing. Somehow, someway she has landed at Ventura Raceway with Biggie as mentor and driving a Rob Kershaw car. She got something figured out! You’re at the heaviest track with a totally connected racing godfather. She wrenches cars in his shop and shreds in the ten car. I love this place…
Biggie
Smart, Fast and Getting Faster Luis Espinoza
As great as that Midget Main was, this VRA Sprint Main looks to be just as good. Danny “Showtime” Sheridan has taken his off weekend and cruised down to see his friends in Ventura. Danny always kills in Ventura and we love having him here. Luis Espinoza is also suited up, racing every spare weekend here thanks to his hardcore sponsors. Dangerous. Chris Wakim is on the pole, clean off the blocks but gets turned around in turn two. Restart with Espy on the pole, he gets out with Clark Templeman III and Troy Rutherford in pursuit. Steve Conrad is always in the mix. Dennis Rodriquez (what’s up D-Rod) gets drifty in the infield, we are yellow. Green flag and it’s a rush. Espinoza out front, Rutherford goes to the cushion and gets past Templeman for second. Rutherford is displaying that savage and quick demeanor with huge acceleration and scary speed going into the turns. Truex and the Tower Roof Gang are flat out calling it for Troy. Not sure what happens next…Randy Moody is riding the wall in turn two but maintains, Guy Woodward hops the curb over in turn three for a yellow and it’s looks like Templeman is slowing for the yellow on the front straightaway when Brian Camarillo gets over his tire and takes a long detour with at least ten rollovers. Ventura Crash team is all over it extinguishing a small oil fire. Brian is ok and casually walks away from it. Brian is one of the most determined and exciting drivers in Ventura. It’s a tough break for him and talented Clark Templeman both. Bill Camarillo rushes out to make sure Clark is ok. Green again and Rutherford slides Espy for the lead. Fast as Espinoza is, Rutherford is looking like Hurricane Katrina. Conrad is tough in third and Danny Sheridan is pounding hard on the door. He is rocket man on the cushion. Rutherford is down the road; he’s not carrying any baggage! Espinoza is trying to hold off Sheridan but that’s gonna take another year or two. Danny slides Espy and sprints off after the long gone Troy. It’s Rutherford out front, Sheridan chasing, Espinoza battling Conrad for third and Richard McCormick trying to figure out that last number on the combination lock. I also see Eric Severson poking around. We get a NASCAR debris yellow and they reel Troy back in. Danny lines up right behind him. I look over at Mike Truex and he comments “now we got a war”. Its fifteen laps to go and everybody in the stands puts on their seat belts. Rutherford and Sheridan both go to the cushion. My notes here say “RUTH INSANE FAST”. Moody breaks and exits stage left. Troy and Danny are locked in a death grip. My notes here say “SHERIDAN HEART”. Five laps to go. Danny is right there, looking, scratching, searching, seeking but Troy is a fortress impregnable. The fans are grooving. Two laps to go and Showtime wobbles almost imperceptibly going into turn two. That’s not allowed and Troy disappears. Phillip flags Rutherford, Sheridan, Espinoza, Conrad and McCormick. John Nock and Rick Hendrix share most passes at twelve each.
Sheridan and Rutherford
That Was Fun
Somebody wrote on the message board a few weeks back that only one car leaves the track happy. That’s probably true; you see a lot of carnage, busted hopes and missed dreams. But when it’s this good, when the bar is this high and nobody quits, there is a strange sense of completeness that settles over the pits afterwards like a cool and friendly fog. I gave Brudder Brett a ride home and if you know Brett, he likes his classic rock! We had the Stones on and they were doing that thing “Satisfaction”.
Satisfaction
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