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Jonathon Henry and Danny Faria Battle in Bandit Season Opener |
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APRIL 6, 2009 --- The 2009 Bandit season got started with an awesome season opening Grand Slam Challenge event at Ventura Raceway. Stockton's Jonathon Henry proves to be the toughest racer in the land when big money is on the line at Ventura Raceway. Fans were treated to great racing on the reconfigured track by the sea as Jonathon "the Money Man" Henry seemingly waged war all night long with "Hollywood" Danny Faria. The efforts to create a two grooved track proved to be a great success for two and three wide racing all night long. 23 cars great cars started the feature with Veterans Errol Sack and Troy Rutherford pacing the field. Rutherford motored up and used his momentum to blast around the highline to capture the first lap as Sack broke and his night ended on lap 1 when he drove off the track. Third place starter Henry worked in behind Rutherford and then made a pass on the journeyman and led from lap 2 to lap 23. As the 17 year young veteran took out a commanding lead the field behind was racing hard and all packed up with slide-jobs aplenty and hard racing all through the balance of the field. Great battles raged with Rutherford, Cory Kruseman, Richard McCormick, Chris Wakim, Kevin Kierce and the charging ninth position starter Danny Faria during the first third of the race. Faria worked his way up past the entire field short of the leading Henry after an epic fight the legendary Cory K. The first of two yellows came out on the 11h circuit was just beginning when Wakim and Kierce apparently made contact entering turn three in a battle for position. This caused the skillful Wakim to spin and continue only to stop in turn one succumbed to crash damage. Kierce unfortunately was pointed off the track when his right side nerf was pushed into his rear tire. After quick action from his championship crew he was pushed back off almost immediately to rejoin the field at the rear of the field of 21 restarting the race. As the race regained its momentum and flow, Henry again pulled out to a commanding lead and started working through lapped traffic. In hot pursuit were Faria and Kruseman until Henry got slowed in the mayhem of the back markers own battles. On the 24th round Faria took the front spot as they lapped Ventura regular Oren Prosser Jr. just as he took a hard right into the back straight wall on the 25th lap bringing out the second and final caution of the event. With the track clear in front the battle for the last five laps was set. Faria led the lapped car of Brandon Thomson, blazing fast Henry, the wily Kruseman and former VRA champion and USAC star Blake Miller. Off the green, Faria took off while the heady sportsman Thomson held his line and gave Henry and Kruseman room to get around him as the fight for the last 5 laps was on. As the last laps counted down, "Hollywood" Dan's lead seemed enough to insure victory was the white flag waved but that was not the case. As Henry had a great drive through the first two turns he took a great deal of momentum down the back chute just as it seemed Dan took a conservative approach into turn three. In a surreal slow mo moment it looked as though Henry was surprised at his closure rate and was in the midst of a high/low decision when a last fraction of a second low choice took him crossed the bow of the Faria Farms 17V. The contact forced Henry in a slide up to the wall in turns three and four as Faria jumped into the gas and retook a brief lead only to discover his front end was bent up and he could barely get the beast turned. The red 88H gathered it all up and returned to the throttle and took the checkered flag feet ahead of the fluttering Faria mount. All of this happened just out of the reach of Kruseman who was almost close enough to take advantage of the mishap. The damage was visible to the jubilant Henry's team after the victory lanes celebration was complete and his mount had to join Faria's ride in the inspection are on the hook of a wrecker with broken rear suspension. The top five were rounded out by Miller and Davey Pombo. As announcer Jim Naylor pointed out, Henry who won most of the big money races at Ventura raceway last year except for the Grand Slam event that was taken by Faria and the 5K to win season finale where after an epic battle with Jesse Hockett was taken by Brandon Thomson who snuck by on the bottom of the track at the very end of that race. Gracious in defeat was the visibly deflated "Hollywood Dan". As Jim Naylor presented the big check to Henry who was on his right, to his left he spoke with Faria to his left. Before a standing and cheering crowed Faria congratulated young Jonathon and holding back his disappointment congratulated him and declared Henry drove a great race and wondered where he came from. Equally as gracious were Jonathon Henry and his team in victory lane. Jonathon proclaimed that other than his mentor Cory Kruseman, Danny Faria was the best racer he had raced with to a raucous cheer from the lingering mob in the stands. Heat race one transfers were winner Miller, Kierce and Don Hansen. The heat two groups were Henry who led Faria and fellow bandito Rusty Carlile past the checkers. Heat three went to the hard luck Errol Sack, Chris Wakim and Fresno's Kevin Barnes. Fourth heat transfer passes were earned by winner Rutherford, then Kruseman, and the hard charging mover and shaker Steve Conrad. The final qualifying heat transfers were VRA veteran Richard McCormick followed by multiple-time Bandit champion Davey Pombo and the hard driving Josh Ford. The first B-Mains went to Hollister's favorite Bandit Tyler Schmidt who was chased for feature event passes by Rick Hendrix, John Nock and Brian Camarillo. Schmidt took his outside front row starting spot to drive away from the field and capture the win. The second B-Main was won by Brandon Thomson in short order. He was joined in moving to the feature by Oren Prosser, Brent Camarillo, and '09 feature winner Bruce Douglass. Walking up to look at the track you can tell the banking was increased and the corners were widened. What was commented on was how the upper grooves were the lines to run now and being on the down-low was not the place to race. Skillful track prep and tuning for maximum racing made for the opportunity that racers took full advantage of. Jim Naylor commented (He is the track prep guru and announcer in addition to his role of promoter) he took special care to make the track as racy as possible. All night long there were those who went high, those who went low and a great many who took the strategy of runnin' where they weren't. Thank goodness they had the opportunity to do so. With a great and enthusiastic crowd on hand, the full four race program was run in the typical Ventura manner with lots of fun inter-activity for fans without any unnecessary delays and wasted time. 40 Sprint cars ran five heats, two B-mains, and a great A-Main, along with complete dwarf cars, IMCA Modifieds and Sport Compacts events in short order. The final checkered flag flew around 9:15 P.M. and the pits were rapidly emptying by 10P.M. after tech inspection. Why is that significant? Because it takes a great effort from a great team of people and most anyone who has been around racing appreciates that feat and further, those who are or have been involved in putting on events in any way appreciate it all the more as we see all how difficult that is to pull off. I have had the privilege of participating in well run programs by a few different promoters but that has been more the exception rather than the rule but for two particular promoters and their staffs. Race teams and fans alike rolled out of the joint with smiles on their faces at a decent hour following a premium program of racing entertainment. Great job Jimmy Naylor, Cliff Morgan and the whole team, for you all it is old hat but for me it is a continuing treat! Next on the Bandit card is another top-of-the-line and well run venue, the Tulare Thunderbowl featuring the Bandit Sprint Cars, Golden State Challenge winged 410 Sprint Cars and Western Modifieds. What a program! That show will be the hottest short track ticket in the Western United States this week-end! Heat 1: Miller, Kierce, Gansen, Hendrix, Thomson, Austin Mero, Justin Kierce, Guy Woodward. Heat 2: Henry, Faria, Carlile, Prosser, Tom Hendricks, Clark Templeman III, Hobie Conway, Charlie Butcher. Heat 3: Sack, Wakim, Barnes, Schmidt, Tyler Edwards, Greg Taylor, Michael Steele, Dwayne Marcum Heat 4: Rutherford, Kruseman, Conrad, Douglass, Nock, Jason Swaim, Eric Chambers, Luis Espinosa Heat 5: McCormick, Pombo, Ford, Brian Camarillo, Dennis Rodriguez, Brent Camarillo, Austin DeBlauw B-1: Schmidt, Hendrix, Nock, Camarillo, Rodriguez, Woodward, Taylor, Hendricks, DeBlauw, Chambers, Conway, Marcum, Mero B-2: Thomson, Prosser, Camarillo, Douglass, Edwards, Espinosa, Templeman, Butcher, Steele, Swaim, Venegas, J. Kierce Feature: Henry, Faria, Kruseman, Miller, Pombo, Rutherford, Conrad, Douglass, McCormick, Barnes, K. Kierce, Hendrix, Nock, Gansen, Brian Camarillo, Ford, Carlile, Thomson, Schmidt, Camarillo, Prosser, Wakim, Sack. Thanks to Ventura Raceway! Thanks to everyone who was so kind and welcoming; it was very nice. It's baseball season…go Dodgers! |
