By Ken Wagner
April 19, 2009

With still another week off from the CRA world, a quick trip to Victorville fit the bill this week. It gets to be a long wait while the USAC/CRA off weeks go by and you know people just might find other things to do. With Mrs Wags finding other things to do this trip(?), I headed to the nearer race track and some sprint cars. Along with 30 of the thunder and lightning variety, there were Modifieds, Dwarf cars and Mini Dwarfs running as well. The cost is a cheap $10 admission fee and with promoter Mike Gibson running the show, it was an entertaining night.

The Victorville pics are up. Click here. Doug Allen's hot pics here Click here.

I didn’t know some of the local drivers, but they were part of a good show. The main had Seth Wilson starting in the second row with his main competition Blake Miller and Tyler Brown way back in row 7, after they had to run in the semi. I hadn’t forgot a visitor and he will put his mark on this one. Seth saw Greg Alexander normally a Ventura competitor who is related to Mark and Steve Alexander, take the lead it looked like he wanted to keep. On a restart later, Seth was able to take the lead and a nice lead. And then along came the Gardner duo of Blake and Tyler. They had their own battles starting in the semi and continuing in the main as they went all out to get to the front first.

As Seth continued to lead, Alexander spun right behind him and John Aden got caught in his wake, so they both went to the back. Meanwhile significant visitor Bill Rose out from Plainfield, IN to run the David Miller car, was lurking in 2nd place. He had his hands full of the Gardner cars as the race neared the end and they swapped positions 2 thru 4. With a lap to go Rose made a clean move and took the lead. As they came around the last corner Bill was up high and Seth down low. Bill was cranking it hard as they neared the flag, when suddenly, his path was blocked as the # 17 veered right into Bill and kept him from getting past for the win. Normally two drivers fighting for a win coming to the flag leave room for each other. Not so in this case as Seth blocked the white # 66 off and took the win. It looked like it was going to be close at the flag, but we’ll never know if he could have passed the winner.

The Williams Brothers, Cody & Austin were both very racy with Austin going towards the front hard until his car stopped and needed a wrecker for a trip to the pits. Cody was 7th from his last row starting spot as you could see the Ripper smiling all night. I was impressed with both as they are not just hanging around, they are trying to win. I was impressed with several other youngsters including Kenny Perkins, Brandon Thomson and Ronnie Gardner as they hustled all night. Adam Fritsch-Smith crashed hard coming out of turn four, but was on his way to the hospital with some bruises for a checkout.

Also thanks to Mike Gibson for his hospitality as I tooled around his racetrack looking it over for a possible Wagsdash location. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, so I got a good look around. I should know something in the next few weeks how possible it is having a Wagsdash this year there. Hang on. And thanks to all of you who have been his best supporters in pointing out the track is a viable location if we could get everyone to come out and work things out. It was a nice windless day and I enjoyed the show. Thanks to the Perkins family for a few trips around the pits in their pusher cart. Man, I miss my Mule when I travel!

I must admit I am a bit confused and concerned about the BIG announcement of the Western World living on? If tradition were the issue, it would stay a lot nearer to the Manzy location and the local racers who support there plus the So Cal boys. Manzanita has been a big part of the makeup of sprint car racing and hosting some of the biggest and best events in CRA, SCRA and now USAC history over the last four decades. Even though the Western went from wingless to wing and back, it still has been a huge part of So Cal and Arizona’s history for many years and was one of two closing big money races each season. Closing the doors doesn’t mean Phoenix is done, although I don’t see anything on the horizon, but to shuffle this event and two more local historical events, the memorials for Buddy Taylor and Hank Arnold, off to Tucson and New Mexico seems a bit strange in my mind. Tucson perhaps is OK for the two memorial races because they are still within the local area, sort of. New Mexico is not reachable for the many who don’t travel.

In addition, bringing in another association, the TNT Sprint Bandits, to run the Western World might give one to think that USAC is not long for this territory. Already the popular club from the Midwest is in Phoenix with 360’s so are they coming for our 410’s next? Emmett Hahn is the Grand Marshall of the Oval Nationals this year, is that a sign of things to come? Good question, but that is only one of many that come to mind. Why didn’t USAC jump on these possibilities, that is if they even had a clue it was happening. I think there could be positive and negative to either side, but for now USAC is here and they have no home for their own yearend closing race like the last few years at Manzy. I am sure there are locations in So Cal that can handle another big race and I think Tulare, Ventura, Hanford and even Victorville would work. The only reason I don’t call Bakersfield in on this is it is a stock car track, so it might be harder to get a crowd there. Tulare has the Trophy Cup the fourth weekend of October and I know they don’t like to have big races one right after another, but they are different crowds (360 winged and 410 non wing), so It might even make both bigger ,if that were to come to pass.

In Southern California we have had enough turmoil since the CRA was thrown out some 15 years ago. I don’t have any opinions this time because first of all it was just an announcement for a race, that’s all. I have always jumped right in during the turmoil times, made up my mind and gone for it. Unfortunately, I am merely a fan, not a car owner or driver, so every time I got involved, it was with my heart and that is not what is needed here. The car owners and drivers need to belly up to the decision trough every time they are faced with change and make sure it’s what they want. The Western should stay closer, period. But, if the money is right, they’ll go, that’s a given. I have opened my mind to the now and hope the future is best for my racers. Are you as confused as I am? How long does it take to drive to Hollywood Hills from LA?

Bill Rose will appear at Perris this week!

Victorville 4/18/09 main event 1. Seth Wilson, 2. Bill Rose,3. Blake Miller , 4. Matt Mitchell , 5. Mathew Shedarowich 8z, Tyler Brown, 7. Cody Williams, 8. Kenny Perkins, 9. Brandon Thomson, 10. Ronnie Gardner11. Heidi Tresler, 12. Royal Adderson , 13. Austin Williams , 14. Johnny McCall, 15. Joseph Gunderson, 16. Lance Butler, 17. Greg Alexander, 18. John Aden, 19. Adam Fritsch-Smith, 20. Jeremy Ellertson.