November 25, 2009

My day started at 6 Am with a shower and a 4 hour ride to downtown LA. Even though I had to go around the block twice to find the parking garage and entrance to the Peterson Museum, I leisurely strolled into the gathering but a few minutes after the 11 AM opening. The museum is great, but the 4th floor was where the gathering was and I spent my time meeting people who I only knew from the pages of race results and historical documents.

Photo's of Wags pics Click here. For my pics of Walt James gathering Click here. For Doug Allen's best Click here.

I know Jay East was one of the racers I was glad to meet, plus Dee Jones and Jim Wood and it goes on and on, as I was pumping the arms of many who grace our hallowed history of the sport of sprint car racing on the west coast. I was happy to meet these not quite so young racers and will keep them in my memory banks from now on. Along the way I took a few pics and enjoyed the time I wandered around among them.

The room was long and narrow with a microphone at one end and a bar at the other. In between were tables and chairs for the early arrivals. I missed that seating so was near the back trying to grasp what Bruce Flanders was giving the crowd. What I heard was bits and pieces of his melodic tones and humorous stories, but the bar trade was good and the yakking of those in the back was distracting. I think Walt James would have been proud of this gathering. His daughter Vickie challenged the crowd to a few shots of Wild Turkey, which seemed to be taken very well. It was a fitting tribute to a man whose long and arduous connection with our sport featured a lot of hard work and some even say he was the reason we have sprint car racing today. A CRA president, a decorated war hero, a leader of the WRA and much more was part of the story of a man who lived racing up to the very end of his life. We’ll all remember the # 15 and the many things Walt led us through.

My second goal of the day, still without my bride, was the $5000 to win Midget show at Ventura. It was another hour and a half to the ocean breezes where I found the best little track by the sea. I saw a view of the enlarged pits filling up as I arrived. I noticed over 40 midgets and many Ford focus cars getting ready. It was a large list of these small chassied cars and just about everybody was here. Even young Bobby East was in the house.

I took a slow walk around and visited with a few before borrowing the Mule Cliff Morgan uses and continued my pit fun and saved my battered knee from more pain. I banged it good recently and it just won’t get back to normal. It was great being at the races and watching the action at the little track.

When the racing started it was sans qualifying and that has become a staple here with the VRA. They would run one round of heats by draw and follow that up with a second group of heats with inverted starts from the first one. That way, if you goof up in the first, you have a chance to catch up with the second one. It appeared to work fine as the cream always rises to the top.

Perhaps the most impressive drive of the night came in

Bobby East’s heat. He started last and had the lead in two laps as he rolled around the top to take that lead and impress everyone. He didn’t have much luck after that finishing back in 19th in the main.

The 24 car starting field took off with Cory Kruseman taking the lead for a dozen laps. Bryan Clauson made the move for the lead and was looking good for the win when a very fast # 17 worked around the crowd and took the lead from him. Clauson was fast and stretched it out from the Kruser for 10 laps or so, but right after Kuhn took the lead there was a skirmish and Clauson was spun out, putting Cory back in 2nd? That’s one way to get rid of the competition. Cory would have his hands full near the end as Kuhn stretched his lead and Chad Boat got really fast. Before the 40 lap checkers, Chad had 2nd and Ryan Caplan had third as the top got racy. In the winner’s circle interview, Jim Naylor reminded Brad what he had said on TV the week before that he was heading to practice at Irwindale for Turkey Night and then would go to take the $5000 at the Fall Classic at Ventura. Poetic?

Even if you keep your nose clean, bad things can happen as proved by young Dennis Howell. He finally had his Fontana powered midget flying for this race as he intermixed the year trying out his 360 sprinter against the 410’s and trying to get the little 4 cylinder motor to run cooler every chance he got. After qualifying for the 24 car main, he started in the 6th row and methodically worked his way up to 6th. When two orange cars started going high/low on him, he just ran his line. When they gave him a flat tire, he went to the back and worked into 17th at the end. Several others got racked and were out early including Matt Mitchell, Bobby East and several more who had little luck in besting this field. It gets real crowded on the little oval when the big money is up.

It was a bit nippy after about 8 PM, but I was tucked in with Naylor’s crowd in the announcer’s level and kept out of the wind. I had a bunch of visits with the royal crowd that came and went to get on the mike and talk about one thing or the other. Two fighters that were going to be on the fairgrounds on December 18 were fun to watch. Steve Howard came to talk about the extra $30,000 he collected for the Glenn Howard Memorial. JC Agajanian Jr did his usual Turkey night ticket giveaway. And on it went.

I also visited with Scott and April Burns for a bit. Scott drove sprinters with CRA for a number of years and does a little cycle riding on occasion, but not too much. They live in Running Springs on the way to Big Bear and are looking to maybe locate to Oklahoma when the housing market works for them. They are active with their son’s motorcycle exploits and daughters dancing skills.

Congrats to Ron Chaffin, Bruce Bromme JR and his longtime crew of Gary Tanaka, Eric Kaufman, Michael Tanaka and driver Mike Spencer for winning the 2009 USAC/CRA Championship for the second year in a row. For Chaffin that is 11 car owner Championships, for Bruce it will be his 15th lifetime win as a crew chief. Bruce is one of the all time greatest mechanics in sprint car racing and he is not done yet.

It looks like Garrett Hansen should win the Western USAC midget title as he has over a 100 point lead going into Turkey Night. He also has a shot and 2nd in points in CRA as he makes a run to overtake David Cardey as the season ends this week.

I can’t believe the year is over, but then 22 races is not really a year now is it. The plans are for more next year, hopefully around 30. Tracks listed as possible race locations are Perris, Tulare, Santa Maria, Tucson, Petaluma, Watsonville, Calistoga and Las Vegas with some conversations with Victorville, Canyon, Bakersfield and a few more. Cross your fingers as the tough economic times means things have to get better for fans and racers alike.

I will be collecting Wagsbucks for the final race of the season, so will be out front when the gate opens. Come see me! Thanks for a great year with the hopes there will be a Wagsdash in 2010!

Ventura 11/21/09 USAC Midgets -- 1. Brad Kuhn, Avon, Ind, 40 Laps; 2. Chad Boat, Phoenix, AZ, 40 Laps; 3. Ryan Caplan, Chico, 40 Laps; 4. Cory Kruseman, Ventura, 40 Laps; 5. Brad Loyet, Sunset Hills, MO, 40 Laps; 6. Garrett Hansen, Manhattan Beach, 40 Laps; 7. Kody Swanson, Kingsberg, 40 Laps; 8. Bryan Clauson, Noblesille, IN, 40 Laps; 9. Shannon McQueen, Bakersfield, 40 Laps; 10. Alex Schutte, Redding, 40 Laps; 11. Matt Streeter, Galt, 40 Laps; 12. Scott Pierovich, Alamo, 40 Laps; 13. Brian Camarillo, Camarillo, 40 Laps; 14. Caleb Armstrong, Newcastle, IN, 40 Laps; 15. Blake Miller, Yorba Linda, 40 Laps; 16. Austin Smith, Chino Hills, 40 Laps; 17. Dennis Howell, Rencho Palos Verdes, 39 Laps; 18. Justin Grant, Ione, 34 Laps; 19. Bobby East, Pittsboro, IN, 28 Laps; 20. Cole Carter, Browersberg, IN, 20 Laps; 21. Josh Lakatos, Pasadena, 20 Laps; 22. Joseph Fabozzi, Norco, 20 Laps; 23. Tracy Hines, Brownsberg, IN, 15 Laps; 24. Matt Mitchell, Yorba Linda, 15 Laps.

Lap Leaders: Cory Kruseman (1-13), Bryan Clauson (14-22), Brad Kuhn (23-40). Heat Race Winners: Heat 1: Joseph Fabozzi; Heat 2: Brad Kuhn; Heat 3: Chad Boat; Heat 4: Justin Grant; Heat 5: Blake Miller.

Preliminary Race Winners: Prelim 1: Brad Loyet; Prelim 2: Cory Kruseman; Prelim 3: Bobby East; Prelim 4: Tracy Hines; Prelim 5: Bryan Clauson.