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October 24, 2005...Parnelli Jones, one
of USAC's most popular drivers ever, will serve as the Grand Marshal for this
Saturday's "Wagsdash" activities at the Ventura (Calif.) Raceway. The
15th running of this special event, organized by Ken Wagner, enhances the
Valvoline USAC/CRA Sprint Car event at the 1/5-mile dirt oval and offers
significant cash bonuses for participating drivers.
Invitations to compete in the "Wagsdash" have been extended to R.J.
Johnson, Josh Williams, Matt Stewart, Nate Ziegler, Blake Miller, Dan Tedrick,
Greg Bragg, Mark Heidenreich and Steve Conrad and an additional seven drivers
will be added Saturday to create a 16-car starting field. The prize money for
the race continues to increase, with the winner guaranteed no less than $2,500!
Race
fans will be treated to an autograph session with Parnelli Jones Saturday
afternoon prior to the Ventura race program.
The top
three drivers in the Valvoline USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series standings were shut
out of Saturday night's podium at Perris (Calif.) Speedway as 2004 USAC National
Sprint Car co-"Rookie of the Year" Josh Ford earned his initial USAC
feature victory. They will resume their torrid battle for the 2005 championship
this Saturday night.
Ford,
of Camarillo, Calif., passed Johnson on lap 18 and led the rest of the way in
his Berry Pack Agricultural Packaging/Temecula Valley Pipe & Supply/Edson/Downing.
Tony Jones finished second, followed by Johnson, Danny Sheridan and Charles
Davis Jr., who led the first nine laps before yielding to Johnson.
Series
leaders Damion Gardner, Rip Williams and Cory Kruseman were all affected by the
first-lap tangle, coming off turn four. Kruseman came back to finish sixth,
while Gardner drove relief for Kevin Urton, whose car finished 12th, and
Williams fought post-tangle problems, finishing 16th. The result is that Gardner
now leads Kruseman by 59 points, with Williams slipping to third in the
standings, 25 behind Kruseman.
A total
of 74 points are up for grabs at Ventura Saturday, to be followed by
"tripleheader" events at Perris and at Phoenix, Ariz. and a finale at
Perris, all in November.
Gardner's fast qualifying time at Perris Saturday was his 20th of the season,
continuing to expand his all-time single-season USAC Sprint Car FQ record. Tom
Bigelow posted 13 FQs in 1978, which remains as the USAC National Sprint Car
standard.
VALVOLINE USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR SERIES STANDINGS
1.-Damion Gardner-1,695
2.-Cory Kruseman-1,636
3.-Rip Williams-1,611
4.-Mike Kirby-1,465
5.-Charles Davis, Jr.-1,297
6.-Rickie Gaunt-1,223
7.-Mike Spencer-1,136
8.-Josh Ford-1,046
9.-Danny Sheridan-935
10.-Seth Wilson-908
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