There occur moments in time where the gods of circumstance decide to play with the witches of happenstance. The ordinary affairs of everyday are pushed aside and privileged people are treated to something special. I believe promoter extraordinaire Jim Naylor has brought us to such a time. I feel like we are at some kind of atomic raceway where a cast of hard core drivers are completely shredding the open wheel dirt track envelope. Last night I saw more guts, drama, crashing, comedy, fate and redemption than a track or website can hold. If you were there, you know the real story was the titans battling up front, but let me tell you a few things that happened on the way….
I know he’s getting the most pictures but what can I do? Taylor, absolutely sick in turn two.
Quick Trip through the Pits:
First off, how about Brian Camarillo! This kid is improving faster than the exponential learning curve allows. Jacked his heat race last night and really made his own luck. Then finished top ten in the main event right behind his dad. Talk about a rising star!If you include the erstwhile Rob Kershaw, three Agromin cars rolled consecutively across the finish top ten. Also knocked out to see hard working Derek Buckley finish tenth…..Funniest story: I have been telling Chris Wakim that my youngest is his biggest fan. Chris recounted how one year he was in the latrine pre race, standing at the urinal doing his business. He looked to his side to see a four year old also taking care of business. The kid looked up at him and said “how’s the car, Chris?” “Pretty good” says Chris, nodding nonchalantly. And that was it!.... I heard that Steve Conrad is replacing Tom Stansbury in the Bach 410 machine next year. This really bummed me out because Steve is one of my favorite Ventura drivers. Selfish of me, good for him, smart of Bach…..I waved at Cliff but he didn’t really respond. He was sicker than a dog last night, probably ate some raw oysters while he was in Nova Scotia for the break! His ace crew covered for him all night. Scott Holder was in San Diego, says it was a business conference but he looked pretty tan. I was in San Francisco for the break and found out about a cool little track in Petaluma. Gotta go back and check it out. Kierce doesn’t take breaks, finished fifth in Hanford and third in Santa Maria. I saw the in car tape from Hanford and it was off the rocker!…. But mostly, everybody was stoked to be back in Ventura!
Heat Races:
I mortgaged my soul for some new camera gear and photographed the heats from the infield. Talk about the belly of the beast. I never really appreciated how a Modified lifts up on its rear haunches when irritated. Or how ugly it can get between Alderman and Bach as they compete for the same dirt in turn two. That’s some mean love going down there!
First senior heat put John Richards in the wind and away. Talked to John a few weeks back and he is such an interesting guy. It’s all about cars and planes and this guy’s way too young for his age. McArthur, Badger and Bach shared the transfer with him and I suspect would agree with me. Second senior heat had that young bully Ron Butler teasing all the other kids. Prosser, Stassa and Moon tried to catch him but Butler was having things his way. The third senior heat brought out Champ Wily Miller and speed demon Ross Millar. Wiley prevailed as he is prone to do, with Culver, Millar and Gentleman Jim Porter closing ranks behind him.
We now switch to the VRA Sprints. Heat one was a tough son of a gun! Crawford took the pole and beat the track over the head with it. Snappy and confident, he looked ready for the main event. Espinoza was on his butt, but couldn’t quite catch. Little did we know the roles would soon be reversed. Taylor and Wakim started fourth row and had to work for their transfers with Conway and Figueroa getting caught in the crossfire. (Was that Cody Kershaw in that heat?!) Second heat had the newly empowered Steve Conrad blasting from the front row to the finish line. Wes Richardson ran an outstanding second followed by a sluggish Troy Rutherford and Ron Tjaarda. Third heat starred Brian Camarillo being chased by Billy Camarillo, Joe Henderson and Doctor Mark Weitzman. Richard McCormick blew something in the engine; Prosser caught a berm, bounced infield and had to watch the heat from there! The fourth and final heat was all about Kevin Kierce, I remember thinking how calm and smooth he looked, just another heat race. Donald Houghton took second, don’t know anything about him, I gotta check him out! Brandon Thomson looks very good in third while Derek Buckley reaches down deep to steal fourth from Errol Sack. Sack was driving hard, my best photo was of him but I screwed up the focus. Sorry Errol! Special thanks to Frank Bigham and Dave Wolf for all the camera help.
The Two Semi Main Events:
First semi had Angel Figueroa taking the pole position and making it happen. He had no problem getting out front and gone. Hobie Conway was in it as was Jake Vail. Oren Prosser Jr. came from the eighth row to the third spot. Dennis Rodriquez only lasted five laps, what a crappy year he’s having. Although Angel is way out front, the rest of it is side by side action. Conway spins to the rear but its hard racing that puts Angel and Jake Vail in the main event.
Second semi has Tom Hendricks dominating the action. Rob Kershaw gives him hell but can’t quite get around him. Tom Harper and Errol Sack also wanted to party, but they have to leave after this song. It’s Hendricks and Kershaw filling the last dance card, Prosser from the first semi gets the alternate. (Was that Cody Kershaw finishing fifth!).
Arguably one the best drivers at Ventura, Chris Wakim is in the season of his discontent.
Senior Sprints Main Event:
Ross Millar got the jump and ran like a rabbit. This guy is fast and getting faster. Jeff Culver was running with him chased by Steve Stassa. Further back I could see Wiley Miller working up a head of steam. Bach and Alderman were mixing in the corners even further back. Bruce Douglas was MIA. Culver and Stassa were battling in the second position. Stassa got around him and started after Millar in earnest. Now Culver is fighting Miller but loses that battle also. They all start getting into some traffic and Stassa finally nicks Millar for the lead. Somebody drops a nerf bar in turn one and we are yellow, we start again and then there’s more problems in both turns one and four. On the green its Stassa out front and a pitched battle between Millar and Miller. There is another crash on the eighteenth lap and they decide to checker the new law firm of Stassa, Millar and Miller. Pretty good racing for my dollar, I think this is Steve’s first win this year and he is fourth in points. Bach and Alderman are leading points in that order. Bruce Douglas is maintaining the third point’s position. Five races to go. Love the seniors.
VRA Sprint Car Main Event
The main event turned out be the best kind of sprint car racing.A battle up front between the point’s leaders, a battle in the middle between the same and solid racing in the back. Espinoza ran to the front and put the hammer down. Perfect track conditions with passing on the bottom and top. Crawford was in fine form as he settled in directly behind Luis for the chase. Kierce was on the move from the fourth row and Wakim was on the move from the sixth row. Nail biting action from the get go was suddenly interrupted when Prosser got up against the wall in turn one. Richardson left the field with a brake problem and the green kicked back in. Again its Luis and Jimmy in a high stakes speed brawl. Then you’ve got Billy Camarillo, Kevin Kierce and Brian Camarillo holding the fifth spot. Forthright as Brian is, here comes Taylor and Wakim. Everybody is swinging high except Bill Camarillo who is trying to get a jump on the bottom. Espinoza and Crawford are in fierce race with Luis really getting the best of it! Jake Vail was out, Rutherford was out and Crawford was out (didn’t see what happened). Wakim had spun himself in turn three and had to go to the back. A few laps later he got out completely in spectacular fashion. Coming down the front straightaway he locked wheels with Ron Tjaarda and took his own Jet Blue. Crowd cheered when he walked away from the carnage. Track was red, crews were wrenching then we kicked off again. Now it’s for the marbles as Luis and Jimmy take up again. Espinoza is ruthless and killing it! Crawford is reaching for anything when he suddenly hits a bump in turn four and drops a half second. Louis turns it into another time zone. Crawford is no longer catching Luis, he is now just maintaining second place. Kevin Kierce is dealing with Greg Taylor and this third place action starts heating up. An incredible display of driving ability as Kevin and Greg start trading slide jobs. All clean, all fast, just riveting the crowd to their seats. It is cutting edge racing, but is strictly for third place. Espinoza wins this race by really driving faster than anybody on the track. Crawford is aching in second, Kierce just clears Taylor for third, Taylor fourth and Mighty Joe Henderson takes another top five finish. Then its Billy Camarillo, Brian Camarillo, Rob Kershaw, Brandon Thomson and Derek Buckley rounding out the top ten. This has to be one of the hottest races of an incredible season. Luis Espinoza justifies his points lead, Crawford is a half second behind him, Taylor is still third in points, Kierce makes a big move from fifth to fourth and Rutherford stays in the top five. Bandits coming… 410’s warming up….We now return you to your normal broadcast…..
I went looking for the current VRA Sprint points and I couldn’t find them anywhere! Not at the fact filled SCRAFAN.COM. Not at the point sanctuary venturaraceway.com. Not even at your favorite blowhard vrafan.com! Come on guys, what’s up? Hardworking Scott Holder did his job, after Santa Maria, he went home on Sunday and recalculated all the points. He then emailed them to all the suspects named above, who somehow got out the Grand Slam Points, but neglected to publish the VRA Sprint point race. Looking at those points, one thing’s for sure, it’s all about the DNF. DID NOT FINISH. With eight races to go, each race worth a potential thousand points, DNF is the enemy. This race to the championship is tighter than a banker’s necktie! Let’s look at the top five…….
Current Fifth Place Kevin Kierce - Yellow #2
I don’t think there is anything more core in Ventura than KK and the 2 crew. I have only missed two races this season and Kevin Kierce has won them both. That said I will sit out any one of the remaining races at Kevin’s discretion. I like the guy that much! But I don’t think Fierce Kierce cares about superstition. He doesn’t buy into the “in car camera” phobia. The only thing Kevin worries about is missing a good race somewhere!Dedicated to the max, regularly packs two cars per race, put him wherever in the line up, he brings it every time. Before the race, he is distant and detached. If you are not part of the dedicated circle of friends working hard to put him over the line, stay out the way. After the race, it’s a different story. Loves to get on that Naylor microphone and thank everybody. Had a couple of stupid DNF’s this year that had nothing to do with him. Currently running fifth place, he is in the hunt to finish first. Kevin has 10,170 points and sits 1,540 behind the leader. That’s about one and a half races to make up.
Current Fourth Place Troy Rutherford - Black #11
I don’t really know Troy Rutherford. Here is what I do know. He came back to Ventura this year after pounding the 410 circuit. He has made this season one of the most exciting in years. He is a journeyman, a knowledgeable and experienced veteran. Has a young family with a beautiful daughter. Drives one of those Raney monster things. When that black #11 hits the track it gets everybody’s attention. He has had a couple of spectacular crashes this year that have just barely pushed him back to fourth. Even so, he and his talented pit crew (including dad) are a threat to anyone in his way. He has 10,815 points and is exactly 895 points behind the leader. That’s about one DNF. He will finish at the front or near. Don’t blink!
Current Third Place Greg Taylor - Red #7
How can such a quiet unassuming guy generate so much power on the track? This Clark Kent of sprint car driving has probably generated more fan thrills than just about anybody. Thirty VRA Main Event wins, he has four this year, twice everybody else. Most heat wins this season with seven. His father was a tear up in his own day and still builds Greg’s cars. One of the best pit crews in Ventura, they fight for every position, every pass. Nothing is worse than second place for these guys, “What screw didn’t we turn?” They know if they deliver the car, Taylor cannot be denied. Currently has 10,985 points, which is only 725 points behind the leader. Greg can get that many points in hot laps! Nobody is safe.
Current Second Place Jimmy Crawford - White #17c
So close he can almost grab it. I don’t know if anybody wants this more than Jimmy Crawford and that’s what may win it. That and incredible driving skills. Mid season he changed cars like changing your shirt, no big deal. Car, crew, weather, conditions, nothing seems to affect Crawford, he will be up front. Has an uncanny ability to see the race ahead and skirt around trouble. Very analytical, refers to the track as “technical”. His only DNF this year was “technical”, he should be out front. With 11, 090 points he is chasing with a 620 point deficit. With eight races to go, that makes the lead only a rumor. Strangely, Jimmy has yet to win a main event this season. But again, Crawford marches to his own drummer, sprints to his own beat.
Current First Place Luis Espinoza - Purple #09
Lackluster last year, Luis is setting the pace this year with a combination of strength and finesse. I talked to his Mom awhile back and she confirmed that Luis was raised by Chris Wakim! He has an awesome Carco engine and a winning pit crew. Luis has taken all of this and synthesized into a lean mean racing machine. I suspect some 410 owners are taking a close look. He is good high, he is good low, he is good in traffic and he is great in front of the interview microphone. This guy would do a lot to promote sprint car racing, they don’t call him Hollywood for nothing! Luis is the only driver who has not DNF’d this year. That is huge in this equation. He is out front with 11,710 points in only fourteen races. That a cool average of 836.429 per race. Still, he has to step up and a win a main event. Champions win!
The VRA Sprint Cars are on hiatus until August 26 to make way for the County Fair. Jim Naylor, the PT Barnum of racing, put on a dynamic show this past week for the fairgoers. Cliff Morgan and the top notch Ventura Raceway track crew ran juniors, ponies, dwarfs and TQ midgets. This is going to be a short affair, surfnsprint is writing an article and there are no sprint cars! It blew my mind to see the stands packed full and even more so to realize they were mostly here for the demolition derby! Not one of these potential fans was going the see the evolutionary peak of open wheel dirt racing, a VRA Sprint Car. I took some aspirin and a couple of notes….
Who needs sprint cars! Chris Olson rips turn one in the VRA Junior Midget #14
photo: Frank Bigham
Quick Trip Through the Pits:
Strange being here on a weekday. Had to leave work early and that’s unusual. Bunch of people everywhere you don’t know, parking is weird and it just doesn’t feel like race night. Pits are discombobulated also. I’m usually anchored by Wakim parking on the point, Luis next to him and Greg across the way. I stumbled around and started running into some familiar sights. The kids were parked in their corner, that’s the VRA Junior Dwarfs and Junior Midgets. The crowds are really enjoying these kids’s racing. I see Mike, Rob, Eddie and a bunch of involved parents helping their kids get it done…. If you missed Cody Codner at the front gate, it’s because he was in the tower working for Scott Holder as a spotter…..Over in dwarf territory, I check out a bunch of drivers including Michael Sweeny Jr., Chris Taylor and George Sack, Jr. They’ve all got interesting stories. I can’t use all the photos I took; I’ll try to post them in the picture section…
The Races:
I’m just going to relate the headlines this week. Let’s make some room for the awesome action photography of Dave Wolf and Frank Bigham.
The VRA Junior Dwarfs got the crowd going with an excellent main event. Austin Figueroa continues to dominate this class with outstanding driving skills. This week had Riley Helland and Devin McCree in second and third.
Austin Figueroa down the line!
photo: Frank Bigham
The VRA Junior Midgets continued with Christian Copley taking first followed by Chris Olson and Charlie Butcher.
That puts Christian back on top of the points, followed by Olson and Ramon Rivas. Exciting driving and great parents power this series. Just check out the photos!
VRA Senior Dwarf Cars had John Lynch taking the checkers chased by Ed Niedzwiecki. Incredibly, they are tied for first in the point’s race. Bill Van Praag and Tom Bellinger took third and fourth.
VRA Pro Dwarfs really fired up the crowd with an incredible battle between Rob Anderson, Chuck Lippert and Brian Saxton. Chris Taylor was dominating early in the race, but a spin put him in the back and he only completed 8 laps. At the end, the wily Brian Saxton overcame this year’s odds to take the flag! Brian and Jeff Shelton are now just behind point’s leader Chuck Lippert.
Brain Saxton in the backstretch!
photo: Dave Wolf
The Pony Stocks were again controlled by front wheel drive. Greg Raap made a rare appearance to gather first place, second and third place going to Joel Chavez and Jack Hoyt. Hoyt is still first place in points. Jim Evans’ consistency has him solid in second, Joel Chavez taking the third spot. Crowd really loved this action.
Classic line up for heat one, the pony stocks.
photo: Frank Bigham
NMRA TQ Midgets served as the final appetizer before the demolition derby. These cars put on a fantastic show for the completely full grandstands. Bruce Hiroshima ran first, West Evans in the second place and Kenny Wiley took third. The NMRA up in the tower does a fantastic job of officiating these little buggers.
Bruce Hiroshima took first place in the NMRA TQ Midgets!
photo: Dave Wolf
Demolition Derby:
I not sure if the demolition derby qualifies as a race? I do know there were no heat races! I do know the crowd was here for this event and they were not disappointed! Looks dangerous. The whole idea is keep your car moving, avoid getting rammed as much as possible and be the last vehicle moving.
Some cars would get smashed, lay dormant for a while and then unexpectedly start moving again. Like they didn’t know they were already dead. Sean McKinney managed all of this to the end with a certain panache and grace. Funny, crazy, totally mad and completely crowd pleasing. I suspect they are still picking the metal out of the track. Not my cup of tea.
Ventura has got it all going, the track and fair.
photo: shootnsprint
I spent most of the evening walking the fair, which is why the race reviews are so thin. I not sure why, but I was drifting and lost in thought. The fair is fantastic; a really vibrant mix of colors and excitement. I took my family the next evening and we really had the best time. But this night I was thinking about sprints and how we can show them to a full house like this. The fair backs up to the track so close that running the sprints presents problems with mud flying. Fair enough, you sure can’t run sprints with those bottom ten grandstand rows full of people. Sprint cars also tend to dominate the entire environment with noise and the staging required. These other classes are more user friendly. I’m glad our hard working promoter, who bleeds for sprint cars, is able to stage a couple of nights for the appreciative fairgoers. Track attendance is up this year. We are building fan base the old fashioned way, one race at a time. Probably better that way. I sure wouldn’t want to fight crowds like I saw Wednesday and Thursday. Something tells me these are the good ole days! But at least I finally know; so this is what the stands look like full...
Here comes the future, the incredible junior classes!
