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Traditional Sprint Car FanSite |
See You At The Races!!! |
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SATURDAY NIGHT DOUBLE FEATURE
by Norm Bogan |
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When we were young, Saturday nights were often
spent at the drive-in theater for a double feature.
Now that we have aged some and the drive-ins are all gone, we
head to Seaside Park’s Ventura Raceway for our entertainment and
tonight’s Double Feature. Sharing
the marquee billing were the USAC/CRA 410 Sprinters and their little
brothers, VRA 360 Senior Sprints. Arriving around the noon hour, temperatures in
this seaside community tickled the 70s.
Uniform for the day was shorts, tank tops and flip-flops.
As I approached the racing arena, suddenly there loomed the
“Bobo Fuentes Circus Tent”!!
Oh me, oh my, what will we do?
On the beach side of the raceway are trailers, with
fiberglass missiles, speakers blaring Beach Boys music and many
beautiful young ladies parading in the latest beach apparel.
It was a Surf Competition, not more than 200 yards from the
Raceway starter’s stand. You guys in Knoxville, eat your hearts out!! Twenty-nine CRA cars were on hand along with
eighteen VRA Seniors, a dream field for many promoters.
Since the Seniors must be over forty-five to race, they
don’t make them qualify, just pick a pill.
The CRA guys have a reputation to maintain, so they start the
mind games with qualifying. Interesting
enough, Rip Williams, who turned forty-nine two days earlier
collected the quick time honors, but was challenged by one of his
younger competitors, J. Hicks, who matched his time, but was ranked
second, since he didn’t do it first. VRA heat winners were 2002 & 2004 Champ,
Wiley Miller, 2003 Champ, Ron Bach and last week’s feature winner,
Bob Alderman. Familiar names, Damion Gardner, Mike Kirby and Cory
Kruseman captured three of the four CRA heats.
The fourth winner, Steve Conrad making his first outing in a
410 sprint, usually runs with the VRA Pro class of 360 sprints,
seemed able to control the extra horsepower, as he ran a very smooth
ten laps to victory. As is often the case with Semi entrants, many have suffered maladies during the heat race and this is their last chance to move into the evening’s big dance. Tony Jones, Charles Davis Jr., Jimmy Crawford and Seth Wilson all made the transfers, while fifth finishing, Alan Ballard currently tenth in points, exercised one of his provisional starts to join the field. The VRA Senior 20 lap feature (remember, these
are old men) saw last week’s victor fall out after one lap with a
mechanical problem. A
couple of shunts retired several others, as defending Champ, Wiley
Miller motored to the front and held off Tom Harper to add to his
season point lead. Tim
Moon had a good run to third, with Dave Marini traveling several
hundred miles each week to take control of a Cory Kruseman school
car rental, finished fourth, while Initial VRA Senior Champ, Jim
Porter hung in for a top-five spot.
Bruce Douglass came from 17th to 6th,
Danny Miller from 15th to 7th, Tony Lima from
13th to 8th, Jeff Culver from 12th
to 9th and last week’s fourth place finisher,
seventy-three year old John Richards, started 16th and
finished 10th. The second of the double features was a 30-lap
outing for the CRA 410 machines.
Many of the heroes would be starting in the front rows and a
donnybrook was expected. The
guy on the pole was not a familiar combatant with the CRA cars, but
very familiar to the Ventura regulars, as he leads the points with
the VRA Pros, but is taking his maiden voyage in competition against
the best on the West Coast. Blake Miller just turned eighteen and has exhibited a smooth
fast driving style over the past year.
He opened a lot of eyes on opening night this season, when he
started last in the feature and took home the trophy.
During the CRA feature, Blake gave some of the heroes a look
at what they soon will have to contend with. On the first lap of the feature, Clark
Templeman clipped the wall coming off four and caught Alan Ballard,
causing him to flip on his lid.
Templeman left on the hook and Ballard was righted and
restarted at the rear. Mike
Kirby struck like a cat as he jumped from his outside pole position
and moved to the front. Miller
ran the low groove, with Kirby keeping his momentum on top edging
Blake each lap at the flag. In
the meantime, that little red sucker with the “Demon” was
performing his patented slice and dice maneuvers splitting between
Kruseman and Sheridan and eventually tucked in behind Kirby.
Soon, Cory came from his back half of the pack starting spot
to race with the third running Miller.
Kruseman finally bested Blake and with two laps to go,
Gardner dove around Kirby to grab the lead.
At the checkers, it was Damion, Kirby, Kruser, Miller and
Mike Spencer, who seemed to have worked the bugs out of his new TCR
ride. Notably, Alan
Ballard, who was last seen upside down on the first lap, had come
from the back to finish tenth. The front trio said they appreciated the thirty
laps of clean racing and were complimentary to the redheaded
youngster, Miller, who battled them all to finish an impressive
fourth in his first outing with CRA. Fans got to enjoy a double feature and the concession even served popcorn. It may not have been romantic, and there were no singing cowboys, but it was as good as any John Wayne action movie. |
