VENTURA, Calif. (April 1, 2008) – Reseda sprint car driver Kevin
Kierce understands winning. Witness his victory in the recent All
Coast 3-2-1 Challenge at Ventura Raceway on March 29.
Kierce, the 1999 Ventura Racing Association Sprint Car champion
at Ventura, raced at Ascot Park in the 1980s and has been among the
best drivers Ventura has to offer for the last decade.
So when Kevin Kierce says the racing at Ventura Raceway has
something important to offer sprint car drivers and team owners,
those people listen.
“I would say the program at Ventura Raceway is probably the
most cost effective racing in the country,” Kierce said hours
before winning the Challenge. “Among other things, we run such a
low gear that we don’t strain the engine.”
Those cost effective VRA sprinters will be racing again April 5,
when the track also hosts the United States Auto Club Midgets, USAC
Ford Focus Midgets, Jr. Focus Midgets, VRA Junior Midgets and VRA
Mini Dwarfs. The spectator gates open at 3 p.m. The kids divisions
race at 3:30 and the adult divisions start racing at 5:30.
The VRA Sprint Car rules package, Kierce said, including the
tires mandated for every competitor, makes for close, exciting
racing that does not cost the teams more than it must.
“You can do it (run the full season) with one car,” Kierce
said. He pointed at the teams pitted near his and continued
gesturing around the pits, “That’s all he’s got. He’s got
one car. It’s convenient to have a spare car, but we didn’t use
the spare car last year.”
Kierce admitted he has several racecars at his disposal and
enough parts for more, should the need arise. His son, Justin,
drives a Kierce mount and other drivers appear from time to time in
Kierce cars. But all Kierce does to prepare those cars is normal,
week-to-week maintenance.
The VRA Sprint Car division cars are powered by 360 cubic inch
engines. Only sprint cars from touring divisions that use 410 cubic
inch engines are faster at Ventura. But the VRA rules package
creates reliability.
“You’ll only use one engine,” Kierce said of the
VRA-approved power plant. “But you’ll go through it halfway
through the year,” to freshen it.
More information about Ventura Raceway is available, cost
effectively, at www.venturaraceway.com.
Raceway notes: After four events this season, Ventura averages
110 cars per week … The March 29 VRA Sprint Car main event had a
caution period to start the race, then went trouble-free over the
final 29 laps … Ventura hosted a dozen divisions and four
sanctioning bodies in the first month of the season.
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