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| "PROFESSOR" PANKRATZ, 62, TEACHES YOUNGSTERS – WINS FORD FOCUS MIDGET FEATURE – By Tim Kennedy |
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VENTURA, CA., Jul. 31 – Wally Pankratz retired from points racing several years ago and now races periodically for fun. He also operates his personalized, one-on-one open-wheel race driving school in San Bernardino. The 62-year old 2000 USAC Western Midget Series driving champion schooled younger drivers Thursday night at the fifth-mile, banked clay Ventura Raceway during the second night of the annual Ventura County Fair mid-week races. It was the first ever USAC FF Midget feature victory for personable Pankratz, who has won races in just about every type open-wheel car you could name during three decades of racing. Pankratz drove his own No. 37 Edmunds Autoresearch chassis, one of his school midgets at Orange Show Speedway, a quarter-mile paved oval. Interviewed earlier by track promoter/PA announcer Jim Naylor, Pankratz said, "Dirt tracks are rock and roll, paved tracks are ballroom dancing." Pankratz, who has won often on both surfaces, took the scheduled 20-lap feature in front of a packed grandstand of fairgoers on day two of the 12 day fair. The Orange County resident started third in a 17-car field, took the lead with an inside pass exiting the fourth turn and paced the remaining laps. The race had five yellow flags for one to three-car incidents, including a flip by Scott Oliver, Jr in the first turn. The 19-minute event received the checkered flag early after 15 green laps because a 22-car IMCA Modified feature and seven-car destruction derby followed and the 10:00 pm track curfew was approaching. Pole starter Henry Clarke led the first three circuits and finished second, five-yards in back of Pankratz. Cody Williams, driver Rip Williams' 19-year old eldest son, started second in the No. 8 Pankratz-owned Autoresearch chassis school car. Cody was subbing for his younger brother Austin, who could not be excused from his high school team football summer practice. Williams yielded second position to his mentor Pankratz on the opening lap. He battled Clarke closely and finished on Clarke's back bumper for his best effort—third. Tyler Edwards came from eighth starting spot to place fourth. Past USAC TQ Midget Series champion Walt Johnson, 48, earned fifth in Robert Welcomer's Bullet chassis. Legend Car veteran Cody Swanson, 18, from Norco, was sixth. Nick Carlson, the only other driver still racing at the premature checkered flag, was seventh. The DNF column included 15-year old USAC California FF Dirt Series championship contender Alex Bowman, who was running fourth on the final lap when misfortune struck. Fifth place Edwards' car rammed the left rear of Bowman's car, which spun out in the low groove at turn two on the white flag lap. Eighth place Kevin Michnowicz, son of sprint car/FF Midget driver Bobby Michnowicz, rode over the left front of Bowman's spun car, got airborne briefly and pitted with suspension damage as the field took the checkered and yellow flags simultaneously. Bowman's car was sidelined as well with a broken front axle. Edwards continued non-stop. "He said his throttle stuck," a disappointed Bowman said later. What made the race even more interesting was a pit wager started by the top three drivers—Bowman, Johnson and Carlson-- in current series point standings. A pool of money grew to a $500 winner takes all bonus. All three championship contenders agreed to start at the back of the feature race and the highest finisher among the three would receive all the bonus money collected in $5, $10 and $20 increments. Considering the fact that the race winner would get about $400 to $500 from the USAC purse, the race within a race gave the capacity crowd of 4,000+ in the grandstands extra excitement. VRA 360 sprint car driver Kevin Kierce, assisting with commentary the PA microphone, even offered to add $100 if one of the three drivers coming from the back won the feature. Carlson had been scheduled to start third, Johnson fourth and Bowman eighth. In that order they started 13th, 14th and 15th with only two rookies behind them. At lap five Carlson was up to fifth place, with Bowman sixth and Johnson eighth. Earlier crashes had reduced the field to ten cars. Bowman passed Carlson exiting turn four on the inside during lap six. Carlson tried to recapture the position and spun in the second corner a lap later. He restarted at the back in his ex-Steve Lewis-owned Nine Racing Beast chassis. At lap ten Bowman was fifth, Johnson seventh and Carlson tenth. Becoming the victim of the final lap crash cost Bowman the $500 bonus and the series point lead and handed the $500 bonus to fifth place Johnson. Carlson finished seventh and Bowman eighth. Following the feature Johnson was the point leader with 405. Bowman (396) and Carlson (392) trailed after race six of eight on the California FF Midget Dirt Series 2008 schedule. USAC FF drivers ran a pair of eight-lap heat races when racing commenced at 6:00 pm. Jim "Jet" Davison, 45, won the first nine-car heat from the pole. Bowman, in a field of eight, led all the way from second in his combination dirt/paved track Beast. No time trials were run by any of the three divisions in action. USAC JUNIOR FF MIDGETS: A 12-car field of Junior Ford Focus Midget competitors, ages 12-17, ran a 20-lap main event in a rapid four minutes in an all-green flag event. Harris Brooks led all the way from the pole in one of Cory Kruseman's race driving school midgets. He held off pressing Charlie Butcher, the 17-year old series point leader, all 20-laps. Butcher trailed by 25-yards at the conclusion. Jake Swanson, Sean Dodenhoff and Zac Bozanich followed. Rounding out the top ten were Joe Leiper, Tyler Edwards, David Perry, Jr, 15-year old rookie Andrew Mulhearn (in the ex-No. 17 Nic Faas Beast), and Mavrick Gaunt, 14-year old son of 410 sprint car star Rickie Gaunt. The elder Gaunt assisted his older son in the pits and said it was only the fourth race for his son. Winn Frazin, age 12, and Amanda Green dropped out at mid-race with mechanical problems. Edwards and Perry led all the way in the pair of 7-lap Junior FF heat races. IMCA MODIFIEDS: A track record 44 IMCA Modifieds from at least four western states competed in four 11-car, eight-lap heats, two 12-lap B-mains and a 22-car, 20-lap A main. IMCA cars use the same rules nationwide and also employ a $525 engine claim rule for the top four A main finishers to keep engine costs reasonable. Jim Bonetti, a 44-year old Las Vegas resident, started first and led the first three laps and laps eight through 20 in his Skyrocket chassis. It was his first victory at Ventura. Randy McGraw, from nearby Ojai, started third and led laps 4-7 and trailed the winner by two lengths. Chad Daly, from Watsonville, charged from 12th to finish third. Troy Morris, Jr was fourth and Bakersfield's Brad Pounds earned fifth. Completing the top ten were Kevin Kirkpatrick, Richard Denman, alternate starter Jay Marks, Doug Thornton and Damon Redman. A broken engine caused Steve McGee to scratch. Twelve of 22 starters finished the 34-minute race that had ten yellow flags and concluded at 9:28 pm. Daly (from 9th), Pounds (from 6th), Kirkpatrick (from 10th) and Denman (from 4th) won the eight-lap heat races. The first three finishers in each race advanced directly to the A-main. The first five finishers in both 12-lap B-mains transferred to the A also for a 22-car feature field. With 14 starters in each B-main, McGee, from Carson City, NV, made a last lap pass to win the first B. Jimmy Reeves led every lap in the second B-main. Both winners started third. Leader Rick Rodarte flipped without injury in the first turn on the opening lap of the second B race on the still moist, tacky track. DESTRUCTION DERBY: Only seven of 14 destruction derby drivers from the Wednesday night DD were able to compete Thursday. Michael Stanford, from Oxnard, drove his 1964 Chrysler Imperial to the $1,000 first place prize for the second night in a row on the full infield dirt surface watered for more action. With elaborate fish hooks on the roof, he outhit and outlasted three persistent rivals in a 17-minute event that concluded just after the nightly10:00 pm aerial fireworks show started at the fair. With a total of $1,900 in the DD pot, runner-up Cole Pitchford received $500. Jeff Ericson earned $200 for third place. Entertaining Joey Diaz and Ford driver Travis Riley each received $100 for fourth and fifth positions respectively. There were a total of 81 cars in the crowded seaside pits. |
