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| MOODY WINS NMRA-TQ MIDGET FEATURE AT VENTURA By Tim Kennedy |
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Ventura, CA., Nov. 10 - Randy Moody, of Ventura, started the NMRA-TQ midget season late but he finished the season impressively, with his fourth consecutive main event victory. He won the season finale Saturday night at his hometown Ventura Raceway, a fifth-mile banked clay track adjacent to the Pacific Ocean. It was his fifth TQ midget feature victory in the No. 55 Dave Lambert-owned 1991 Dennis Hart-built Hart/Honda. Moody competed in nine of the 13 NMRA point races this year and finished eighth in series points among 25 drivers with NMRA 2007 points. He had seven top five finishes and eight top tens in addition to three fastest qualifying times. His five feature triumphs came at three tracks-Santa Maria Speedway (3), Bakersfield Speedway (1) and Ventura Raceway (1). NMRA teams have experienced only one flip during 2007 until the season closer. A cool night gave teams a fast track with close racing and much passing all night. Four drivers flipped at the season finale. No serious injuries resulted from any of the tumbles. There were two flips in heat races and two more during the main event, which was reduced from 25 to 20 laps because of time constraints. There was the usual 10:00 p.m track curfew for the multi-division card that featured various Ventura Racing Association open-wheel divisions. Moody, a 36-year old veteran of midget and sprint car racing, started seventh in a 13-car field. He became the third and final race leader on lap 11 and paced the final ten circuits. Chuck West led the first two laps from fifth starting spot. His car owner and cousin West Evans led lap 3-10 after starting third. Second starter Scott Dobson, the 2006 NMRA rookie of the year, finished second in Guy Barber's Stewart/Honda. West finished third in a Stealth/Kawasaki and Evans was fourth in his own Stealth/Suzuki. Richard Ortega, Jr, the 2005 NMRA rookie of the year, placed fifth in his own Stealth/Kawasaki. Bruce Hiroshima, leading 2007 rookie Jonathan St. Clair, rookie Amanda Thomas, Kenny Wiley and Ron Ahrendt completed the top ten. Jenna Bliffen, Scott Niven and rookie Anthony Lopiccolo followed. Flipping began in the second of two eight-lap heat races. On lap six of heat one Ortega spun and collected Moody and Ahrendt. The race ended at that point with West declared the winner. On the first lap of the second heat Niven flipped, and on the fourth lap Wiley flipped. Officials terminated the race at that point and Dobson was the winner. In the main event Wiley flipped again on the opening lap after coming together with St. Clair. With nowhere to go, Ahrendt flipped over Wiley's car and officials cut the race from 25 to 20 laps because of the busy racing schedule. With the season now complete Kenny Wiley, 46, won his first NMRA driving championship. He was the NMRA 2002 rookie of the year. His car owner, Paul Lopiccolo, won his first NMRA car owner championship. St. Clair finished ninth in final 2007 NMRA points and was the highest ranked rookie driver. He also will be honored at the annual NMRA championship awards banquet at The Grinder Restaurant in Moorpark on Saturday, January 5, 2008. Summary: Heat 1: Chuck West, West Evans, Amanda Thomas, Richard Ortega, Jr., Randy Moody, Ron Ahrendt, Jenna Bliffen. Heat 2: Scott Dobson, Bruce Hiroshima, Kenny Wiley, Scott Niven, Jonathan St. Clair, Anthony Lopiccolo. Main: Moody, Dobson, West, Evans, Ortega, Hiroshima, St. Clair, Thomas, Wiley, Ahrendt, Bliffen, Niven, Lopiccolo. NMRA-TQ MIDGET FINAL DRIVER POINT STANDINGS: Pos. Driver Points Starts Wins Top 5 Top 10 Fast Times 1 Kenny Wiley 746 13 2 9 12 2 2 Chuck West 697 13 5 7 12 3 West Evans 679 13 9 12 4 Scott Dobson 676 13 9 12 5 Bruce Hiroshima 674 13 8 12 6 Richard Ortega, Jr. 610 12 1 7 10 7 Ron Ahrendt 561 13 3 11 8 Randy Moody 543 9 5 7 8 3 9 Jonathan St. Clair ® 486 11 5 10 10 Scott Niven ® 360 11 1 4 10 Jenna Bliffen 360 10 6 NMRA-TQ MIDGET 2007 FINAL CAR OWNER POINT STANDINGS: Pos. Car No. Car Owner Points 1 21 Paul Lopiccolo 785 2 38 West Evans 736 3 36 West Evans 718 4 18 Guy Barber 715 5 5 Bruce Hiroshima 713 6 8 Richard Ortega, Jr. 646 7 55 Dave Lambert 610 8 15 Jonathan St. Clair 600 9 87 Ron Ahrendt 561 10 20 Bruce Hiroshima 435 |
