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Ventura, CA....May 10......Forced to come through the B Main after a fifth place heat race finish, Cory Kruseman put on a clinic Saturday night as he drove from 16th starting to the win in the 30 lap VRA unwinged 360 sprint car feature at Ventura Raceway. The drive was made more remarkable by the fact that the first caution flag in the 30 lapper did not fall until lap 23. Kruseman took the lead from his cousin Chris Tramel on lap 25 and won the 30 lapper ahead of point title contender Greg Taylor, Tramel and Luis Espinoza. The win paid $1000 to Kruseman with Taylor collecting $750 as a large 44 car field competed. The 20 lap IMCA Modified feature ran without a single caution flag and Bill Waltman outdueled female ace Kathy Pierson for the win. Earlier, Pierson had beaten Waltman in their heat race. Sixth starting David Lidren won the 20 lap VRA Modified main event ahead of Ric Bronson, Rick Rodarte and George Kreider IV. Adam McPhail beat defending champion Mike Frazier, James Brown and Dave Little in the 20 lap pony stock main event.
The large field of unwinged sprint cars were divided into the usual four qualifying heats on the lightning quick 1/4 mile clay oval. Only the top four finishers in each 11 car field advanced into the 30 lap feature. Former IMCA Modified track champion Randy McGraw, a rookie in the sprint cars, won the first heat ahead of Jake Ford and Ronnie Case. Tony Dighera beat Rob Kershaw and John Wright in heat 2. Chris Wakim edged out Bakersfield Rick Gifford in heat 3. The former dirt late model ace Gifford lost his transfer spot into the 30 lapper when he was deemed to be too loud. Taylor beat Tramel and Ron Butler in heat 3. With the disqualification of Gifford, seven transfer spots were available in the two 14 car B Mains. Kruseman won the first B Main ahead of Kevin Kierce and Mark Weitzman. Point title contender Tom Stansberry won the second B Main ahead of Brett Butler and Ron Bach. Point title contender Mike Knopf gained that final available A Main slot by placing 4th. The lineup for the 30 lap A Main had Case and Ford in the front row ahead of Tramel and Kershaw. The 22 cars filled up the small track, but managed to race 23 quick laps before the first yellow flag. Tramel was leading at this point and a four caution tangle forced another slowdown on lap 24. Kruseman, who runs a driving school at the track, charged into the lead on this green flag and paced the final six laps to win ahead of 7th starter Taylor, Tramel, Espinoza, Steve Conrad, Kershaw, 17th starter Stansberry, Wright, Knopf and Bach. The night ended with nearly a three way tie for the point lead as Bakersfield's Stansberry is just 70 points in front of Ojai's Taylor and 105 ahead of Santa Maria veteran Knopf.
The 17 IMCA Modifieds were split into two heat races. Damon Redman won the first ahead of Lyle Slater and Will Smith. The second heat proved to be a preview of the feature fight as Pierson beat Waltman, Gary Curtis, Joe Porche and Wes Richardson. Waltman tows from the Lancaster area to race at the coastal track while Pierson opened the year with thoughts of chasing a track title at Bakersfield Speedway Park. Finances have Pierson switching her racing to her hometown track and she chased Waltman to the feature win. For 17 modifieds to race 20 laps on this small track without a yellow flag was also remarkable and Richardson ran third ahead of Mark Fullerton, Curtis, Paul Moore, Porche, John Aitken and Redman.
Summary
Pony Stocks
Main-Adam McPhail, Mike Frazier, James Brown, Dave Little.
VRA Modifieds
Main-Dave Lidren, Ric Bronson, Rick Rodarte, George Kreider IV.
IMCA Modifieds
Heat 1-Damon Redman, Lyle Slater, Will Smith, Brett Lynsky, Brad Prows.
Heat 2-Kathy Pierson, Bill Waltman, Gary Curtis, Joe Porche, Wes Richardson.
Main-Waltman, Pierson, Richardson, Mark Fullerton, Curtis, Paul Moore, Porche, John Aitken, Redman, Prows, Slater, Richard Johnston, Lynsky, Smith, Randy Gens, Don Wright Jr, Jody Davis.
VRA Unwinged 360 Sprint Cars
Heat 1-Randy McGraw, Jake Ford, Ronnie Case, Jeremy Ellertson, Cory Kruseman.
Heat 2-Tony Dighera, Rob Kershaw, John Wright, Luis Espinoza, Mike Knopf.
Heat 3-Chris Wakim, Rick Gifford, Steve Conrad, Mike Davis, Mark Deskovick.
Heat 4-Greg Taylor, Chris Tramel, Ron Butler, Ryan Devitt, Brett Butler.
1st B Main-Kruseman, Kevin Kierce, Mark Weitzman, Steve Gresham, Jonas Reynolds, Guy Woodward, Charles Turner, Deskovick, John Aden.
2nd B Main-Tom Stansberry, Brett Butler, Ron Bach, Mike Knopf, Shaun Kautz, Kevin Mahoney, Sean Tolbert, Brandon Thomson, Bill Welch, Clark Templeman III.
A Main-Kruseman, Taylor, Tramel, Espinoza, Conrad, Kershaw, Stansberry, Wright, Knopf, Bach, Wakim, B Butler, Case, Devitt, McGraw, R Butler, Weitzman, Ford, Kierce, Dighera, Ellertson, Davis.
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