VENTURA, CA, Oct. 21 -    Rickie Gaunt continues to enjoy the best season of his racing career.  Gaunt's latest Sprint Car Racing Association (SCRA) win, his fifth of the year, came Saturday night at Ventura Raceway. 

Gaunt finished second to Mike Kirby when the SCRA tour passed through Seaside Park last month marking the third time in the last three seasons that he has earned a runner-up finish at Ventura.  Normally excitable as it is, Gaunt stood atop the hood of the Jack Gardner, Jr. / Beach Manufacturing No. 96 Sled in victory lane and saluted the crowd after his long awaited first Ventura win.

"It just feels good to finally beat that damn Kirby here.  Kirby's won the most races here and I think I've run second the most," Gaunt laughed.  "We'll take this win and hopefully win a couple more this year.  When I first started driving for Jack I hadn't won all that many races and I told him that I wanted to win a race so bad.  Jack said no, you want to win lots of races.  He told me just to take my time and we'd get there, and sure enough we're starting to get there."

After winning the Sander Engineering Fast Time Award for a second straight time at Ventura, Gaunt lined up fourth for the 30 lap feature behind JE Pistons Dash winner Richard Griffin and Cory Kruseman. Kruseman darted into the lead on the initial start and received a tap from Gaunt in turn two.  Gaunt took the lead exiting turn four after racing three-wide with Kruseman and Griffin down the backstraight.  But the yellow flag would negate the start after J Hicks and Jimmy Thompson tangled and came to a stop before the end of the opening lap.

"I hit Kruseman on that first lap and went by him and Richard," Gaunt said in an apologetic tone.  "I really didn't do it on purpose, I just think I carried a little too much momentum and wasn't anticipating coming up on him that quick.  But it was a complete restart and it didn't hurt either of us too bad."

Much like the prior start, Kruseman put the Harlan Willis / TCR Performance No. 45 into the lead at the drop of the green flag with Gaunt moving ahead of Griffin for second.  Gaunt and Griffin swapped the runner-up spot a couple of times in the early laps before Gaunt finally settled into the position. 

The caution flag flew on lap 12 after Michael Smith slid across infield before finally coming to a stop in turn one.  For his troubles, Smith was hit from behind by Brian Venard.  Neither driver was hurt.  Gaunt slipped a wheel underneath Kruseman in turn one on the restart and battled side-by-side for the lead before executing a textbook low to high slide job in turns three and four.

Tony Jones brought out the yellow flag one lap later after he bounced to a stop in turn three.  Kruseman nearly returned the favor on the restart, in fact, Gaunt and Kruseman rubbed Hoosier Tires after the "Kruser" came up a little short on his attempted turn three slide job. 

Gaunt survived two more restarts, included one caused by his teammate Bill Rose, and comfortably led until he accepted the white flag.  With Kruseman now back to within striking distance, both men powered their way through turn three only to find Jarrett Chaney parked in turn four. With the yellow light already on, Gaunt and Kruseman avoided Chaney and waited for yet another restart.

Hoping to give his hometown fans something to cheer about, Kruseman went to the cushion on the restart only to have Mike Kirby put the Brad & Nancy Geurin / Statewide Towing No. 5 Stinger into the second position. Kirby narrowed the gap between himself and Gaunt on the final lap of the race, but in the end would run out of time and laps.  Griffin finished fourth ahead of Mike English and now needs only 28 points to clinch his third consecutive SCRA driving title.

Marc Hart finished tenth his Trench Shoring No. 15 TCR and would later return to become the first repeat winner of Ken Wagner's 30 lap Wagsdash.  Hart started 16th before taking the lead from Bobby Graham on lap 15.  Hart's victory was worth $3,000.  Smith finished a close second ahead of Charles Davis, Jr., Casey Shuman (who started 21st) and Danny Sheridan.  Before the main event, the "Legends of Ascot Park" were also on hand with 1978 CRA Champion Rick Goudy driving his assigned stock car to victory.


RACE #37 - VENTURA RACEWAY
VENTURA, CA
Date of Race: 10/21/00


SCRA TIME TRIALS 
1.  Rickie Gaunt, Torrance CA, Gardner Jr. 96 , 11.835 2. Tony Jones, Corona CA, Cowherd 48 , 11.935  3. Michael Smith, Trona CA, Fischer Mtrspts 29, 11.987 4. Cory Kruseman, Ventura CA, Willis 45 , 11.999  5. Bobby Graham, Riverside CA, Silver State 14, 12.008  6. Troy Rutherford, Ojai CA, Gardner, Jr  6 , 12.022  7. Mike English, Norwalk CA, Priestley 10 , 12.024  8. Richard Griffin, Silver City NM, Chaffin 50 , 12.027  9. Jordan Hermansader, Long Beach CA, Acosta 77 , 12.033 10.  Marc Hart, Ventura CA, Hart 15 , 12.034  11. Larry Brown, Bakersfield CA, Brown 36 , 12.056 12.  Mike Kirby, Lomita CA, Geurin 5 , 12.091 13.  Bill Rose, Plainfield IN, Gardner Jr 93 , 12.134 14.  Rodney Argo, Hawthorne CA, Argo 19 , 12.149 15.  Brian Venard, Tustin CA,  Venard. 47 12.179  16. Casey Shuman, Tempe AZ, Lake  Mtrsprts 22 , 12.196  17. Cory Witherall, Santa Monica CA, Witherall 61, 12.196 18.  George Gervais, Mira Loma CA, Gervals 9 , 12.209 19.  Jimmy Thompson, Nipomo CA, Thompson 71T, 12.217 20. Jarrett Chaney, Clovis CA, Chaney 69 , 12.257  21. Greg Taylor, Ojai CA, Taylor 7X, 12.271  22.  J Hicks, Torrance CA, Alexander 89 , 12.317  23. John Scott, Hesperia CA, Scott Mtrsprts 83, 12.344  24. Bobby Michnowicz, Harbor City CA, Michnowicz 21, 12.370  25. Rip Williams, Yorba Linda CA, Jory 3, 12.393  26. Steve Ostling, Corona CA, Pratt 12 , 12.395  27. Jimmy May, Santa Paula CA, Witherall 61X , 12.401  28. Danny Sheridan, Santa Maria CA, Sheridan 18, 12.445 29. Randy Moody, Ventura CA, Moody 4R , 12.486  30. Jeremy Sherman, Phoenix AZ, Lloyd. 41, 12.503 31. Jimmy Crawford, Ventura CA, Team NRG 17C , 12.504  32. Tom Downing, Lakewood CA, Downing 90, 12.527  33. Dan Tedrick, Hesperia CA, Tedrick 88X , 12.530  34. Greg DeCaires, Elk Grove CA, Hasebe 17 , 12.545  35. Mark Nation, Los Olivos CA, Nation 3N , 12.545  36. Michael Hinrichsen, Lakeside CA, Lake Mtrsprts. 2 , 12.550 37.  Charles Davis, Jr, Chandler AZ, Morales 94, 12.594  38. D.J. Ruth, Riverside CA, Ruth 25 , 12.609 39.  Rick Hinrichsen, Lakeside CA, Winter 33, 12.722   40. Bill Camarillo, Ventura CA, Camarillo 72X , 12.746  41. Cal Smith, Montclair CA, Pratt 39, 12.780  42. John Franklin, Huntington Bch.  CA., Franklin 20 , 12.791 43. Jesse Denome, San Diego.CA, Kruseman 1K , 12.904  44. Dan Hillberg, Whittier CA., Hillberg 82 , 12.923  45. Will Perkins, Victorville CA, Perkins 70 , 12.943  46. Austin Kreider, Arcadia CA., Kreider 8 , 12.977  47. Rick Farron, Van Nuys CA, Farron 23, 13.093 48. Lance Gremett, San Marcos CA, Gremett 85 , 13.281

HEAT 1
1. Cory Witherall, 2. Rickie Gaunt, 3. Bill Rose, 4. Bobby Graham, 5. Rip Williams, 6. Mark Nation, 7. Randy Moody, 8. Greg Taylor, 9. Jordan Hermansader,

HEAT 2
1. J Hicks, 2. Tony Jones, 3. Rodney Argo, 4. Marc Hart, 5. George Gervais, 6. Troy Rutherford, 7. Jeremy Sherman, 8. Steve Ostling, 9. Charles Davis, Jr,

HEAT 3
1. John Scott, 2. Jimmy Thompson, 3. Mike English, 4. Brian Venard, 5. Jimmy May, 6. Michael Smith, 7. Greg DeCalres, 8. Larry Brown, 9. Jimmy Crawford,

HEAT 4
1. Cory Kruseman, 2. Richard Griffin, 3. Jarrett Chaney, 4. Mike Kirby, 5. Bobby Michnowicz, 6. Danny Sheridan, 7. Casey Shuman, 8. Michael Hinrichsen, 9. Tom Downing,

DASH
1. Richard Griffin. 2. Cory Kruseman. 3. Bobby Graham. 4. Rickie Gaunt. 5. Mike English. 6. Mike Kirby. 7. Tony Jones. 8. Marc Hart.

B FEATURE
1. Troy Rutherford. 2. Steve Ostling. 3. Jordan Hermansader. 4. Michael Smith. 5. Greg Taylor. 6. Danny Sheridan. 7. Rip Williams. 8. George Gervais. 9. Casey Shuman. 10.  Larry Brown. 11.  Michael Hinrichsen. 12. Charles Davis, Jr.  13.  Tom Downing. 14.  Randy Moody. 15. Mark Nation. 16.  Jeremy Sherman. 17.  Greg DeCaires. 18. Jimmy May.  19. Jimmy Crawford.

A FEATURE (30 Laps)
1. Rickie Gaunt. 2. Mike Kirby. 3. Cory Kruseman. 4. Richard Griffin. 5. Mike English. 6. Rodney Argo.  7. Troy Rutherford. 8. Bobby Graham. 9. John Scott. 10.  Marc Hart. 11.  J Hicks. 12.  Jimmy Thompson. 13.  Tony Jones. 14. Cory Witherall. 15.  Jordan Hernansader. 16.  Jarrett Chaney. 17.  Bill Rose. 18.  Steve Ostling. 19.  Michael Smith. 20. Brian Venard. 
Laps Led: Kruseman 1-11, Gaunt 12-30

WAGSDASH (30 Laps)
1. Marc Hart  2. Michael Smith  3. Charles Davis, Jr.  4. Casey Shuman 5. Danny Sheridan  6. George Gervais  7. Bobby Graham  8. Greg DeCaires 9. J Hicks  10. Jordan Hermansader  11. Will Perkins  12. Cal Smith  13. Austin Kreider  14. Dan Hillberg  15. Jarrett Chaney  16. Bobby Michnowicz  17. Lance Gremett  18. Brian Venard  19. D.J. Ruth  20. Mark Nation  21. Tom Downing