By Ken Wagner
October 3, 2009

What a nice day in Ventura this past weekend. It was just like old times with memories of past Wagsdash days flashing thru my mind. With 8 different classes going, there was something for everyone and the VRA main event was a wild thriller with the Jim Kierce Memorial race for the Senior Sprinters a good event in honoring Kevin Kierce’s father.

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Does the name Matt Mitchell mean anything to you? The former midget racer, now full fledged sprint car driver, has taken some giant leaps this season as he has improved drastically. Recent outings proved he’s fast and going to the front each time out. After a win at Tulare in a CRA event earlier this season, he has continued to show his improved results week after week, including some fast antics while leading at Calistoga’s opening night. Now the VRA is not the CRA, as in 360 versus 410, but the racing on any given night is tough on the little bullring by the sea and very entertaining.

Since all racers bitch about the track condition, and more so depending on where you finished, it was a somewhat dry slick night. It had the usual low groove path for most of the bottom feeders preference, yet an extreme high groove that included a path that made the wall your enemy, in the case of one Brent Camarillo and your friend in the cases of the winner and several others who braved the fast wall bumping action. Brent had taken off at the start of the main event and slipped up top where he rode the rim expertly for a lucky 13 laps, but then “IT” happened. Sometimes you have to live by the sword, and sometimes you die by the sword, I heard that somewhere. But Brent managed to get jousted this time after looking great until he got sucked in to the big bad white boulder retaining wall, and ended up on his head and out of the race.

Troy Rutherford had won two in a row here in an effort to catch the point leader Kevin Kierce but was still only 25 points from being shut out for his own quest of a championship. On this night Kevin would “crash out” and Troy would battle hard to grab 2nd to the Mighty Matt Mitchell effort that had everyone waiting for him to bite the sword, too. Even though Matt probably hit the wall at least 7 or 8 times, he was able to control his out of control looking laps and win his first VRA main event in Biggie’s car and made them both happy Behind Rutherford came Rocket Ronnie Case as he wandered up in the pack to get third on a good ride in the orange crusher.

There was one Oh NOOOO move this week, well more than one really, still Bullet Blake Miller who runs more tracks each week than anyone else, came to Ventura to use his dad’s ride, the beautiful yellow # 10. He started in the fifth row and using both the high and his preferred low groove here, had the yellow submarine in second place late in the race when Oh Nooo. When he went to throw a slider on the leader M & M, his car hit a wide slot in the low grove and it just spun him to a stop when he lost the needed traction to complete the move. Oh baby, it was a bold move and he who had the top groove up to that point hadn’t been passed yet and Blake was looking to get up there in the lead. He restarted and finished 10th. Remember now, winners are the ones who make the moves to try to win, the others are ready to settle for what they got and Blake is a winner.

Bobby Michnowicz is a Senior???????? I guess it’s true as he started in the back of his Senior heat and did well moving to the front. Then he came from way back in the Senior main and won in a car that is for sale. He proved it still works getting what I think was his first senior moment with VRA. Good job for the “old man” as his son Kevin at 14 years old was watchin’ and is itchin’ to get in a sprinter! Looks like that’ll happen, but first let’s get some more seat time in the little Focus cars.

Kevin Kierce has been organizing the race for his father for three years now and this one appeared to be another success as he raised over $5000 plus before this day started. It’s kinda like a Wagsdash, but for old farts, and they seemed to appreciate it this night. John Badger won the 15 lap event that and got the nice trophy honoring Jim Kierce and some extra cash.

Ventura has a special feeling for me, what with the 11 Wagsdash event’s we ran there, but there’s more. The ocean backdrop provides something few tracks ever have and can keep you entertained watching the boats and surfers when there are no cars on the track. The palm trees located throughout the pit area just speaks volumes about the serene scene. The look and feel just says welcome! Watching the rainbow of colors on the cars heading to the push off area is mesmerizing and makes you feel like life is good! Jim Naylor redid his retaining walls this past winter with huge 3500 pound blocks stacked two high, and they are immovable when cars meet it at speed. He added some banking and a scosh more room on the oval and the upcoming $5000 to win Midget event should test the place, and hopefully be run in front of a packed house. All in all, I feel at home when I go there and wonder why fans don’t knock the fences down to see the VRA every week. Real race fans, where are you?

My congrats to Damion Gardner and his crew chief Davey Jones for their win at Lawrenceburg Friday night! The tape shows he was hooked up as he won his first USAC race. I predict the second one will come a lot easier and very soon, and maybe now he will show them that California hospitality that only he can do.

Ventura Raceway Race Results for 10/03/2009

VRA Sprint Cars -- 1. Matt Mitchell, Yorba Linda, 30 Laps; 2. Troy Rutherford, Ojai, 30 Laps; 3. Ronnie Case, Camarillo, 30 Laps; 4. Brandon Thomson, Ventura, 30 Laps; 5. Guy Woodward, Santa Clarita, 30 Laps; 6. Brent Camarillo, Camarillo, 30 Laps; 7. John Nock, Newhall, 30 Laps; 8. Cody Kershaw, Oak Park, 30 Laps; 9. Chris Ennis, Bakersfield, 30 Laps; 10. Blake Miller, Yorba Linda, 30 Laps; 11. Charlie Butcher, Santa Barbara, 30 Laps; 12. Danny Faria Jr, Tipton, 30 Laps; 13. Tony Everhart, El Cajon, 30 Laps; 14. David Bezio, El Cajon, 23 Laps; 15. Derek Buckley, Ojai, 19 Laps; 16. Brian Camarillo, Camarillo, 13 Laps; 17. Don Gansen, San Bernardino, 13 Laps; 18. Tyler Edwards, Ventura, 11 Laps; 19. Kevin Kierce, Reseda, 11 Laps; 20. Justin Kierce, Reseda, 11 Laps.

Lap Leaders: Brian Camarillo (1-13), Troy Rutherford (14), Matt Mitchell (15-30)