By Ken Wagner
Nov 15, 2008

It wasn’t a weekend for the Wags to be down, but an unusually flu like morning kept this Wag at home this week as three major events happened. The most important was Mike Spencer winning his first USAC/CRA championship. He won only one race this season, and that on March 29th, but consistency led to putting the little red sucker in the champion form it has earned a dozen times. They just keep on winning with the crew they have and I am sure it will continue on in the future as long as there is a little red sucker!

Damion Gardner made another visit in the Perris winners circle this week as he held off David Cardey for his 2nd win here this season and 47th lifetime with us here in the southland. Damion, it was reported, had a fast racer this week and fought off all the challenges to get another win.

The third, and most astonishing of all, was Brandon Thomson winning the $5000 first prize at Ventura. I didn’t see it, but in my mind I know exactly how Brandon acted when it was over. He is unsurpassed as a thrilled racer in the winner’s circle. Brandon, it was reported to me, ran the bottom while all the heroes pushed the cushion and still couldn’t beat him. The likes of Jesse Hockett, Cory Kruseman, Josh Ford and many more couldn’t knock him off his perch and he will certainly cherish this once in a lifetime win.

My hats off to the Chaffin/Bromme team as they made the little red sucker ready to race all year. Even with some really bad luck equipment nights, Spencer was able to gather the points needed to do the right thing. I know Bruce Bromme Jr, who still hasn’t gotten his shoulder fixed, is one of the best mechanics of our time, his record proves it. He won championships with Dean Thompson, Lealand McSpadden, Richard Griffin, Damion Gardner and now Mike Spencer. He has over 200 wins in the red cars and there is no one to challenge that record today. Ron Chaffin has had fun owning the car and is nearly to 100 wins himself. They will be happy campers at the banquet this year.

The season winding down has brought some good, bad and ugly as usual, but hopefully it’s all good when the cars hit the dirt tracks. The CRA’s dismal showing at Manzy was to be expected when reality sets in. Figure this: THEM - 100 races per year, US - 30,Them - dry slick track experience all year, US - none, THEM many high dollar motors, US – very few, THEM – National publicity, US – none. And on and on. Are they better racers, you could say that, but given our lack of extra races, it’s the way it is. Don’t fret, every one of our racers thinks they can beat these guys and if the track is heavy next week at the PAS, look out travelers who have stuck around, our boys will fight back. It will be the first annual Glenn Howard Memorial so everyone turn out to remember one of the founders of today’s racing.

My plans are to show up at Perris after Thanksgiving and enjoy the last night of the year. I will not be making it to the pavement party at Irwindale, but good luck to all my friends there. Dirt is where it’s at for me and until the Turkey night race comes back to dirt, I’ll have no interest in the asphault adventures there.

FEATURE: (30 laps - With Starting Positions) 1. Damion Gardner (2nd), 2. David Cardey (12th), 3. Cole Whitt (1st), 4. Danny Sheridan (7th), 5. Greg Bragg (17th), 6. Brady Bacon (11th), 7. Cody Williams (9th), 8. Bill Rose (18th), 9. John Aden (16th), 10. Eric Severson (15th), 11. Ludvig Solberg IV (19th), 12. Joe Gunderson (21st), 13. Dustin Morgan (5th), 14. Mike Spencer (6th), 15. Nic Faas (4th), 16. Rickie Gaunt (13th), 17. Blake Miller (22nd - #93J), 18. Tyler Brown (14th), 19. Rip Williams (10th), 20. Royal Adderson (20th), 21. Alan Ballard (3rd), 22. Chad Boat (8th). NT.

*Blake Miller Drove The #93J During The Semi-Main & Feature. **Alan Ballard & Mike Spencer Flipped During The Feature.

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Lap 1 Cole Whitt, Laps 2-9 Damion Gardner, Laps 10-11 Cole Whitt, Laps 12-15 Damion Gardner, Laps 16-18 Cole Whitt, Laps 19-30 Damion Gardner.

NEW LUCAS OIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Spencer-1,572; 2-Miller-1,478; 3-Sheridan-1,469; 4-Tony Jones-1,160; 5-Brown-1,090; 6-Garrett Hansen-1,039; 7-Cardey-1,029; 8-Cory Kruseman-952; 9-Josh Ford-840; 10-Faas-654.

NEXT USAC/CRA SPRINT CAR RACE: November 29th – Perris (CA), Perris Auto Speedway – “Glenn Howard Memorial

Ventura 11/15/08 FEATURE: (30 laps - With Starting Positions)

1. Brandon Thomson (1st), 2. Jesse Hockett (5th), 3. Johnathon Henry (4th), 4. Cory Kruseman (3rd), 5. Kevin Kierce (18th), 6. Steve Conrad (7th), 7. Albert Pombo (13th), 8. John Nock (22nd), 9. Josh Ford (6th), 10. Troy Rutherford (9th), 11. Ronnie Case (14th), 12. Jimmy Crawford (12th), 13. Danny Faria Jr. (8th), 14. Chris Wakim (15th), 15. Luis Espinoza (2nd), 16. Rick Hendrix (16th), 17. Tom Hendricks (21st), 18. Henry Clarke (17th), 19. Greg Taylor (20th), 20. Tyler Schmidt (11th), 21. Brian Camarillo (19th), 22. Greg Alexander (10th), 23. Clark Templeman III (23rd).