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Ventura Raceway continues to knock them out of the park. Promoter Jim Naylor and his outstanding crew have a knack for putting on a solid night of racing and then throwing in a blockbuster ending so you have something to rave about on the way home. Sixteen year old racing brat Jonathan Henry edged two of Ventura’s hardest core on the final laps of a ripping thirty lap main event. In another testament to the value of the Cory Kruseman Sprint Car Driving School and pit crew, this hardworking student shredded his exams and torched the diploma….

Jonathan Henry and Jim Naylor Cracking Up On the Front Straightaway
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Senior Sprint heat races had Danny Miller and Ron Bach both back in the comfortable groove. VRA Sprint heat one put the spotlight back on Clark Templeman. I’m not sure why I like this guy so much. He’s taken some hard hits and he keeps coming back. That says a lot. Heat two fronts Jake Hodges, don’t know anything about him, need to check it out. A heated fourth place battle between Jesse Mack (who almost won Bakersfield last week) and Brandon Thomson came up empty handed for both of them. Brandon took a vicious wipeout in turn one and ended up on his back. Jesse scheduled a spot in the B Main and left the track peacefully (right side up). Kevin Kierce dominated heat three as he has dominated the season; with hard, clean and decisive driving. Heat four featured the tuned in and confident Greg Taylor. That’s a Norm Grimes power plant under the hood and sounding nuclear! Despite taking a smoke break, Luis Espinoza held off eager Jonathan Henry.……..

Clark Templeman III Keeps Coming Back and Rocking His Ventura Fans
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They ran the kids classes and it was a blast as usual. Hard race to give a play-by-play report (although Jammy handles it with skill). I find it hard to sort the action but man we have fun. Mighty Joe and I were cracking up! Tommy Velasquez grabbed the Piston Class and Riley Helland clinched the Supercharger’s Class. Ramon Rivas took the Junior Midgets victory. Ramon is also leading the point’s race.

VRA Junior Midget Drivers Ramon Rivas and Erich Loesch Battle for Inches
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VRA Semi Main showed everybody the best side of struggling Angel Figueroa. Took the pole and drove a brilliant race. On one of yellows I see his young son Austin run down to the fence and give him a big thumbs up as he passes by. Cool. Ron Wade, Brent Camarillo and Larry Lloyd also drove their way into the main event. I’m shocked Jesse Mack misses the main. Brilliant driver, tough crowd….

Caption: I Call Him Wiley “Way Out” Miller
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Senior Sprints hit the track for their main and it starts with Tim Moon. He runs a hard race stifling Wiley Miller for a couple of laps but the former champ gets the pass. A yellow (Culver and Leonard) puts him back and Moon continues to stuff him. Moon runs wide on the straight-aways but keeps a tight grip on the bottom. Good strategy but Wiley won’t be denied. He passes again and gets way out on the gas! Moon continues to fade as Oren Prosser Sr. pours it on. Suddenly it jumps out of gear or something and Oren slowly drifts down the front straightaway. He had the only chance of catching Wiley. Wiley’s half a track out front. Bob Alderman, Bruce Douglas and Danny Miller fight over the leftovers….

Give These Kids Credit, They Deserve It: Tommy Velasquez wins Piston Mini Dwarf
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Life is Good When You’re Riley Helland Mini Dwarf Supercharger Winner
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Senior Dwarf Main was all about speedy Ed Niedzwiecki. Can I just call him Ed the Ned? Interesting watching this guy drive, he always seeking and searching the best line. But mainly Ed is just plain fast. Just ask Tom Bellinger or Bill Van Pragg or Gary Conditt. They all spent the evening chasing him. Bellinger and Van Pragg got touchy feely at the end and John Lynch swooped in for second.

Rob Anderson and Jim Scribellito Are Making Everyone Dwarf Fans!
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Watching Scribellito, Anderson and the gang tear it up every week works for me. This time it was standard Scribellito out front with Anderson and Greg Goodwin hunting him down. Brent Stevens was also there and Lars Wolf showed up. Brent advanced to second and was right on top of Scribellito. They mixed a bit and Scribellito rode the wall. Worse yet for him, Rob Anderson took advantage of the wobble and passed them both for win. Classic racing.

Brandon Thomson Cleans The Wall and Rakes The Yard
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Twenty engines on the backstretch sends a heavy vibration through the infield, up the bleachers and rides my bones. Phillip throws the green flag and we’re off. Right away McCormick drifts in three and gathers up Kershaw, Espinoza and Hodges. Tough start. We restart doublewide and Taylor and Conrad lead the charge. Kierce moves up from the third row and they are all high. Upstart Henry is on the bottom and holding fourth. Suddenly Brent Camarillo gets airborne in turn one and lands very hard. We are red (closed) and the ace track team safely extracts the youngster. On the restart everybody hits the cushion again. Conrad bobbles and drops back to seventh. Henry advances to third. We are seeing heavy traffic but Taylor has a pretty good lead. Rookie Schutte gets goosey in two and we are yellow. They reel everybody back in and we have fourteen to go. For the second race in a row Espy determines his car is dysfunctional and leaves the track (flat left rear). This race is being controlled by Greg Taylor and contested by Kevin Kierce and Jonathan Henry. We are green and we are in heavy traffic. Taylor gets in a few sweeping turns but the traffic is slowing him. Conrad is on back on the move and battling with Rodriquez. Everybody is high but traffic hits critical mass and with five laps to go Taylor has to drive the bottom. Shades of Bakersfield, Kierce follows and Henry manages to swing wide. “Watch Henry!” Cliff commands me. I watched that whippersnapper drive that traffic like he was in a midget, first passing Kierce and then passing Taylor for the win. Down in the announcer’s booth, Naylor was having a heart attack on the microphone! This promoter loves his drivers and really gets a kick when they hit their potential. We went down and took some pictures of Henry. “What’s Cory feeding you?” I yelled. Somebody in his crew yelled back “gunpowder and raw chicken!”

Jonathan Henry With a Bunch of People That Have Got His Back
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I feel like a king. My truck put on a few more miles and made it to Bakersfield. I got a bunk lined up at the local flophouse (yeah it’s got high speed internet access). Now I’m at the Bakersfield Speedway! They call me Press and wave me into the pits. Espy lets me hang at his trailer. I trade a few of my bologna sandwiches for a chair to sit in. It feels like a throne. I’m sitting with Super Dave and he’s telling me “I just like working on race cars”….hmmm, I’m thinking…looking around at maybe thirty or forty race cars....some of the fastest drivers in the state getting ready to go off…. me and Super Dave grinning like a couple of kids as we’re sitting in the middle of this beautiful mess….

Greg Taylor Bites Down On Bakersfield Clay
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We headed over to the drivers meeting where Cliff laid out the rules. Preacher got a prayer in and we were ready to start racing. We had to wait a bit for the ambulance to arrive and then they started rolling cars. “Prayer and an ambulance” I thought, “that’s all you really need”. They ran hot laps and then we jumped on the qualifying. Peter Murphy tore quick time at 13.787. Davey Pombo second fastest, Greg Taylor third also in the 13’s, Josh Ford fourth in the low 14’s with Rick Hendrix right behind him. Peter, Davey, Greg and Josh were all in the hunt at the end…..

Bakersfield Track Steward “Ivan” Gave Everybody Leadership and a Safe Track
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Heat One sprints Jonathan Henry spanked everybody, including talents Marcum, Severson and Hendrix. Just a kid! Peter Murphy had car problems, pulled off and will go the semi…Heat two had a fantastic battle between Pombo and Kierce…Pombo finally passed but Kevin gave as good as he got…. Heat three had lots of groping and inappropriate behavior…Taylor separated himself from the pack and ran away…. Heat four was all about the incredible driving skills of Jesse Mack. He just got up and gone…. VRA Senior Dwarfs heat one had Bill Van Pragg able to brag….Jerry Doolittle gave him a chase but…Heat two had Ed Niedzwiecki putting the freaky on Gary Conditt….VRA Pro Dwarfs heat one had Brent Stevens clipping Greg Goodwin and heat two put Jim Scribellito in front of iron man Rob Anderson. VRA Mini Dwarfs heat one had Ethan Dotson clear Zachary Gilmore and the consistent Tyler Jerman beat Sam Hanley. The kids are having fun! Great program……The VRA Sprint Semi Main was just a warm up session for Peter Murphy… Ray Knight, Ryan Guy, Bill Jones, Joey Laymen and Jim Thomson never completed the first lap! Three restarts, Dennis Rodriquez and Guy Woodward didn’t finish either. Transfers included Murphy, Hendrix, Nock, Hawthorne, Tressler and Demott. Two reds, assorted yellows, a couple of black flags; it was brutal! My heart goes out to anyone who made the long drive and hauled home a pile of parts. You are Kings…

VRA Senior Dwarf Driver Ed Niedzwiecki Rips Turn Three
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The kids kicked off the main events. VRA Mini Dwarfs had Zachary Gilmore aced the younger set (Pistons), Wyatt Schaffer captured first for the older set (Superchargers). Check out the winner’s photos and tell me this isn’t a gas! VRA Senior Dwarf Cars showcased Bill Van Pragg doing his best to reel in strong man Ed Niedzwiecki to no avail. They are in a pitched points battle in which Ed is also maintaining a razor thin lead. I want to spend my golden years spinning laps! VRA Pro Dwarf threw down a monster race where Jimmy Scribellito used a nearly flat right rear tire to beat off all comers, especially Rob Anderson and Brent Stevens. Jeff Shelton and Greg Goodwin were also in the brawl. Awesome drive by the “Scribenator”! Sorry Jim, didn’t get a decent photo! A gentle darkness was settling over the Bakersfield Speedway. This track is a beautiful set up, with grass in the infield and in front of the concession stands. Gently swaying eucalyptus line the back of the stands, which are big sweeping concrete steps loaded with lawn chairs and happy families. Down in the pits, twenty-two maniacs are locking in…

Caption: Zachary Gilmore / How I Spent My Easter Vacation
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Wyatt Shaffer Wins at Bakersfield and Can’t Wipe the Grin Off His Face
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Let’s spread a little credit around…. VRA Bandit Grand Slams are my favorite races of the year and thanks to big bad Cliff Morgan for making this baby happen. What an incredible opportunity for the fans to see more of the talent spread all over this great state! Extra and heartfelt thanks to Scott Schweitzer and his talented staff for hosting the first round. Everybody I met at this historical raceway was professional, kind and helpful. Sorry about spilling the Pepsi in that push off Jeep. Thanks for the ride.

Check Out the Speed, the Power, the Control; This Is Davey Pombo
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The talent for VRA Bandit Grand Slam was so deep they oughta call it the Grand Canyon Slam. Everywhere I look I see greatness! Pombo, Taylor, Kierce, Ford, Murphy, Stansberry, Carlile…it goes on and on….Jesse Mack on the pole, Josh Ford second row, Taylor and Pombo third row….is there any racing moment purer than right before the flag drops, twenty two cars all perfect and full of piss and vinegar, all potential winners?...twenty two engines unleash and Jesse Mack shoots the hole…Tom Stansberry is right there and I swear I can hear that Taylor engine go full throttle…Peter Murphy is clearly in the hunt…Mack gathers more real estate with Stansberry, Taylor and Murphy scrambling…Ron Tjaarda spins and we are yellow, the knot tightens…green and Taylor gets on the gas and notches Stansberry, Murphy also gets up on him and it’s Mack, Taylor, Murphy, Stansberry and Josh Ford….cushion looks wobbly but that’s where the action is…Stansberry continues to fade and Josh Ford moves up one… Espinoza’s got no brakes and gets the hell out of there… Track has been dry slick since the kids ran and it doesn’t look to be taking rubber. These guys are fast irregardless….Mack clearly out front with Taylor holding off Murphy, Stansberry and Ford dueling…Here comes Davey Pombo and Eric Severson…further back Trimble, Kierce and others are slugging it out, tough crowd and if you aren’t running top five it’s rougher… Jayson May spins for the second yellow and again the noose tightens. Line up on the yellow is Mack, Taylor, Murphy, Pombo and Ford. Nineteen laps are completed with eleven to go…hammer down in baking town…clean start and everybody is swinging high except Murphy, he senses it’s now or never and launches a full frontal assault on the bottom…it almost looks like it will work… meanwhile Mack, Taylor and Pombo keep launching out of one…suddenly Severson hits the wall on the front straightaway and we are yellow with five laps to go…green then instant yellow on a massive muck up in turn one…. between the two incidents; Severson is gone, May is gone, Tjaarda is gone, Stansberry is gone, Carlile is gone…One more line up, five laps to go and we are green in a game of high speed poker…Mack is leading up high, flanked by Taylor and an increasingly insistent Pombo, Murphy is grinding the bottom and Ford is giving them all hell…Trimble is also pulling up a chair…suddenly….for whatever reason after driving a perfect race, Mack drops to the bottom on lap twenty seven and Greg Taylor seizes the moment ( “waiting for a mistake” he tells me later). He takes his U.S. patented turbo charged high line and blasts past the twenty seven-lap leader. End game.

Do You Think The Civilians in His Life Know?
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When I look at this photo of Davey Pombo, I wonder what happens when he takes off the driving suit and shows up at work in his normal clothes. Do his co workers know that this gentle looking guy may be the most natural race car driver I’ve ever seen? Does the waitress serving him coffee know what an incredible world talent this guy is? When Greg and the rest of these natural born killers are walking in the regular world how do they talk to people about this stuff? How can you explain a lap twenty-seven shut out to someone who wasn’t in Bakersfield? These guys are kings in a world of suits. Last night Greg Taylor rose to the occasion and was first among equals. Fastest in Oildale, he ruled among the Kings of Bakersfield.

Taylor Racing, First Place, First Class, Thanking Their Sponsors, They Know It Takes a Team
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Feel like the walking wounded. Where is my crew? Tried a little thing down south and suddenly all hell broke loose. Everything got shot up, everybody scattered but nobody’s made it back to camp yet. Now I’m kinda stuck, wandering around, trying to look natural and blend in. Bad as I feel it seems I’m not alone. Lots of busted up souls wandering around tonight….

Greg Taylor Claims What Is His
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Greg Taylor, who knows Ventura Raceway better than his own backyard, dominated the VRA Sprint Main Event last night for his first 2007 win. Rising Eric Severson rode shotgun for most of the race but couldn’t clip the wily veteran for the win at the end. Raced him clean though. Erstwhile Rick Hendrix continues a stellar season taking third in front of VRA strongman Kevin Kierce. Point’s leader Luis Espinoza got gathered up in a fender bender, went to the back and tried to race his way back into contention. Finished top ten but dropped to second in points behind Kevin Kierce. Kevin Kierce crashed in hot laps, crashed in his heat race, races from twelfth into fourth in the main event, second to first in the point’s race. Send this guy to Iraq; he’ll clean that mess up in a couple of weeks! Most passes go to wunderkind Jonathan Henry who raced from the back (20^th) to an eight-place finish. Cliff tells me this kid acquitted himself admirably at the Chili Bowl! I think Cory is also training this kid for his California Drivers License. Some kind of two for one deal…

Steve Stasa Power Drifts to First Place
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Steve Stassa continues to dominate the VRA Senior Sprint division in their second race of the season. Not sure what’s up here, the usual suspects are in the hunt but it seems to be follow the leader. Stassa drives a strong line and smart race. Wily Miller is always there but can’t seem to close the deal. Bob Alderman, Bruce Douglas and Mike Cook (who the hell is Mike Cook?) are also accounted for. Last year champ Ron Bach hasn’t seemed to hit his mark yet, but hey, it’s early. Nice having Danny Miller around, we miss Ross Millar, Tim Moon’s racing with the young folk. I’m a senior too and you can just get out of the way…….

Randy McGraw Basks in the Sunlight
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I like Randy McGraw. Soft spoken and lean, he stands in the winner’s circle with kind of a jimmy stewart aw shucks demeanor as he quietly thanks his friends and sponsors. Out on the track however, he is all business. Rick Rodarte got the jump on everybody but both McGraw and Jack Parker weren’t exactly giving it up. Then Rick started smoking and got the black flag. McGraw took over and Parker pulled second. Lots of contenders this year; Steve Smith fourth tonight and first in points, Joe Weaver, Bill Waltman and Damon Redman. Jack Parker’s got his hands full and wouldn’t have it any other way. Classic racing dead ahead…..

Chuck West Family Shines in the Winner’s Circle
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I had a blast in the tower with NMRA racing directors Gay Otto and Beth Bliffen, but first let’s talk about this photo! This guy is blessed with three wonderful daughters and a beautiful wife. He gets up every morning and stands in the winner’s circle without touching a racecar. Lanky Chuck West still likes to race those TQ Midgets and he was champion last year and the winner last night. Gay and Beth tell me this is the National Midget Racing Associations fiftieth year! They clued me into who is racing hard including Scott Hansen and Bruce Hiroshima. In their main event, Newbury Park’s Scott Dobson rode up front until Steve Lambert took over. Lambert hit the wall hard at turn one which allowed hard charging West to take over. Dobson and Hiroshima both threatened, but West took it home. These cars will be back during the Fair. One last thing, proud aunt Beth couldn’t tell me enough about driver 03 Jenna Bliffen. Fast and beautiful.

Wes Richardson Rides the Storm
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Just yards from where he clinched last weeks main event win, Wes Richardson caught a wheel in his heat race and corkscrewed down the front straightaway. Quick action by the Ventura Emergency Crew verified his vital signs and he climbed out on his own power and walked away from the carnage. This guy is tough; he later took an interview in the tower. Many other drivers also took a beating last night, including Jake Hodges (brutal flip in his heat) and midget driver Richard Marshall in his main event. These are the images that stay with me when I’m driving home late. Tough drivers, busted up and getting back to camp.