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Traditional Sprint Car FanSite |
See You At The Races!!! |
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VENTURA
WRAPS UP THE 2004 SEASON
by Norm Bogan |
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Back in April, the pits were full of optimism as racing was underway for another year at Ventura. Most of the cars had straight sheet metal and fresh paint, with veteran drivers well rested from the off season and enthusiastic new youngsters, bursting to exhibit their skills. During the year, competitors experienced the agony and ecstasy, representing the success or failure on a particular night. As the season progressed, the point races began to form. Whether it is experience or luck, certain teams appear to be better prepared each race to finish up front. By the time of this season’s finale, some of the titles had already been determined, while other were going right to the line. Tonight’s menu had a serving of VRA Pro
Sprints, VRA Senior Sprints, VRA Pro and Senior Dwarf Cars and the
ever-popular Pony Stocks. With
30 Pros and 23 Seniors, the Sprinters were well represented.
During the Senior feature, John Richards, celebrating his 73rd
birthday, made contact with the front stretch wall and performed a
couple of endos. Talking
later, Richards said that it knocked the wind out of him, but he was
okay and probably would be a little stiff and sore tomorrow.
John Woodward gathered in his second feature win of the year,
followed by Bob Alderman and Wiley Miller, who sewed up a second
Seniors championship in three years. Chris Wakim struggled as he debuted a new coil
over, sway bar car and fought with the handling most of the year.
Late in the season, he returned to a conventional four-bar
car and notice immediate improvement.
Leading the first heat, Wakim drove away from the
competition, appearing as to be his strongest outing for the 2004.
Other heat race winners were Mike English, Kevin Kierce and
Luis Espinosa. Ryan
Devitt captured the “B” Main and then Wakim showed that the heat
victory was not a fluke as he again dominated the feature and
collected the spoils. During
the feature, Guy Woodward, flipped in turn one, ending any chance of
him duplicating his Dad’s victory in the Senior “A” Main to
make it a family sweep. A mild afternoon turned into a chilly evening as the fans bundled up to offset the steady ocean breeze, which seemed to penetrate the layers of cover and had the fans running for Hot Chocolate. Closing night was not kind to VRA Pro Sprint
Champ, Tom Stansberry. After
winning back-to-back titles, tonight was just for bragging rights
and a broken spindle sent Tom to the pits early in the feature.
Tom will not be going for the Three-Pete as he is teaming
with Ron Bach to run with the USAC/CRA Sprints next year with a set
of MOPAR powered racecars. The
Stansberry family has been a fixture around Ventura for years as Tom
and Dad, Ray both won titles in Dwarf Cars before moving on to the
sprinters. The season closed on a positive note. Things are looking better for the life of Ventura Raceway and the threatened closings over the past several years. Car counts remained good, even with a downturn in the economy over the past two years. There were outstanding racing programs and Ventura can be proud of the show they present on a near weekly basis. With the majority of competitors coming from nearby, this is a truly hometown track with rabid fans and very supportive families in attendance each week. Before long, we will all be at the Rules Meeting preparing for the 2005 season. Kudos to all the staff at Ventura Raceway and the support of the Seaside Park workers for their dedicated devotion to the racing, making this a great show for the fans and impressing those visiting for the first time. Happy Holidays to all and look forward to seeing you in the new season. |
