Press Release
Santa Maria, CA - June 14, 2008...USAC/CRA 410 Sprint Cars, NMRA TQ Midgets, D&S Automotive IMCA Modifieds and Western Racing Association (WRA) Vintage Midgets and Sprints were all on hand at Santa Maria Speedway Saturday night for the 4th Annual Ron Otto Memorial.

Blake Miller, of Yorba Linda, began the evening in style for the USAC/CRA Sprint Car division by setting a new one-lap track record of 13.230 seconds, an average speed of over 90 miles-per-hour. In the 30-lap main event Bandit regular Albert Pombo, of Easton, managed to lead the first two laps before fading back in the field. Ventura's Jimmy Crawford picked up the lead for the next seven circuits before eventual winner Tyler Brown, of Norco, went to the point and remained there for the duration. The victory wasn't easy, though, thanks to pressure from second place Mike Spencer, of Temecula, who was going for his third straight victory at SMS, and third place finisher, and Santa Maria resident, Danny Sheridan. Miller and Kerman's Davey Pombo were fourth and fifth. Albert Pombo, Brown, and Garrett Hansen, of Manhattan Beach, who flipped in the feature, captured 10-lap heat races.

Chuck West, of Clovis, swept the NMRA TQ Midget class with fast time of 15.166 seconds, a victory in an 8-lap heat race and a win in the 25-lap feature event. Ventura's Randy Moody pressured West throughout the event but had to settle for second, followed by Bruce Hiroshima, of Camarillo; Anthony Lopicolo, of Brea; and Ron Ahrendt of Harbor City. Moorpark's Scott Niven won the other heat race.

IMCA Modified point leader Danny Lauer's second poor finish in as many races has dropped the Santa Maria driver's margin of lead over Nipomo's Kenny Kirkpatrick to just 2 markers. Neither driver was in the top-five in the 25-lap main event won by Watsonville's Clay Daly, his second in-a-row and third of the season. Santa Maria's Ian Hunter scored his best finish of the season, coming home second ahead of Randel Davis. Tommy Laliberte, of San Jose, was fourth and Greg Mancebo, of Tulare, fifth. Eight-lap heat race winners were Laliberte, and Santa Marians Doug Thornton and Ron Wiley.

The WRA gave the crowd a look at the midgets and sprints of yesteryear with several exhibition runs in their vintage machines, many of which are over 60 years old.    

Next Saturday night 360 Bandit Series Sprint Cars will be back in action at SMS, along with D&S Automotive IMCA Modifieds, Factory Stocks and Mini Stocks. Gates will open at 3:00 p.m., with qualifying at 5:15 p.m. and racing at 6:00 p.m. Admission prices will be $15.00 for adults, $11.00 for seniors (65+), $5.00 for children six to twelve, five and under free. Credit cards are not accepted. The Speedway is located 1/4-mile north of the 101/166 interchange on Hutton Road.

RACE SUMMARIES
USAC/CRA Sprint Cars: Fast Time - Blake Miller, 13.230 (Track Record).
Heat 1 - Albert Pombo, Danny Faria, Jr., Miller, Eric Severson, Aaron Altaffer, Cody Williams, Mike Larsen.
Heat 2 - Tyler Brown, Danny Sheridan, Jimmy Crawford, Ronnie Case, Austin Mero, Steve DeMott, John Butler.
Heat 3 - Garrett Hansen, Mike Spencer, Davey Pombo, Henry Clarke, Billy Blinn, Daniel Hood.
Main Event - Brown, Spencer, Sheridan, Miller, D. Pombo, Faria, Crawford, Clarke, Severson, Altaffer, DeMott, Mero, Williams, A. Pombo, Larsen, Hansen, Butler, Blinn, Hood, Case.  

NMRA TQ Midgets: Fast Time - Chuck West, 15.166.
Heat 1 - West, Richard Ortega, Jr., Randy Moody, West Evans, Ron Ahrendt, Anthony Lopicolo, Steve Parke.
Heat 2 - Scott Niven, Scott Dobson, Chris Hedge, Bruce Hiroshima, Jimmy Dodson, Dick Marshall.
Main Event - West, Moody, Hiroshima, Lopicolo, Ahrendt, Dobson, Hedge, Ortega, Parke, Marshall, Evans, Niven, Dodson.

IMCA Modifieds
Heat 1 - Doug Thornton, Randel Davis, Paul Terrones, Jake Jones, Kenny Kirkpatrick, Bob Campitelli, Chris Harwin.
Heat 2 - Tommy Laliberte, Randel Davis, Clay Daly, Danny Lauer, Brian Burnes, Ken Kehs, Rich Denman.
Heat 3 - Ron Wiley, Chad Weber, Jimmy Reeves, Greg Mancebo, Josh Vogt, Shane Jones.
Main Event - Daly, Hunter, Davis, Laliberte, Mancebo, J. Jones, Terrones, Denman, Thornton, Wiley, Kirkpatrick, Vogt, Reeves, Burnes, Kehs, Weber, Lauer, S. Jones, Harwin, Campitelli (DNS).      

POINT STANDINGS
IMCA Modifieds:
1. Danny Lauer, 239 2. Kenny Kirkpatrick, 237 3. Doug Thornton, 223 4. Josh Vogt, 219 5. Chad Weber, 218.