VENTURA, California — Ventura Raceway will hand out more crowns Saturday than a cut-rate dentist at a broken tooth convention. It’s Championship Saturday at Ventura with no fewer than four local divisions still with their track championships undecided.
The Ventura Racing Association’s Senior Sprints, Dwarf Cars, Karts and youth divisions will share the spotlight with the USAC Junior Focus Midgets Oct. 31. The spectator gates open at 3 p.m. and the traditional flag salute starts at 5:30.
Four drivers still have a chance to win the Senior Sprint Car title and each of the track’s youth divisions remain without a champ as the weekend approaches.
Ventura’s Bruce Douglas leads the Senior Sprint standings, holding a tissue-thin lead over Oak Park’s Rob Kershaw (2,870 to 2,850). Jeff Culver, Lompoc, is third with 2,685 and Yorba Linda’s Willey Miller holds a mathematical chance to win the title with 2,660 points.
Douglas could eliminate Miller by securing a berth in the feature race but Kershaw and Culver can keep their chances alive if they transfer with Douglas into the feature. Douglas, Kershaw and Miller all have three feature wins this year. Culver has a pair.
Oxnard racer Ricky Lewis leads Oliver Blades of Moorpark 3,070 to 2,990 in the Mini Dwarf-Superchargers class, one of Ventura’s youth divisions. Tommy Velasquez III is third with 2,890. Lewis will probably not be able to clinch the title in the heat races, meaning that Blades and even Velasquez could carry their dreams of a championship into the feature race.
Joe Snyder, the Westlake Village flash, leads Chatsworth’s Zachery Gilmore by just 15 points (3,240 to 3,225) in the chase for the Mini Dwarf-Pistons title. Kyle Peterson, Newhall, has 3,095 points and sits third in the standings.
El Segundo’s Austin Figueroa leads the Junior Midget standings with a 3,115-2,955 bulge over Brennan Rogers of Camarillo.
The Oct. 31 event will mark the final race of the regular season for the Raceway. Only the mega-rich Nov. 21 ARP Presents the J.W. Mitchell Fall Classic for USAC Midgets remains on the Ventura schedule after Saturday’s race.
More information about Ventura Raceway is available at www.venturaraceway.com.
