Ventura Raceway
March 30, 2013
_______________________________________

Woodward Wins One At Ventura

VENTURA, CA (March 30) - Ventura Raceway continued its 2013 season with a full program of exciting short track racing action featuring five adult classes and our three division kid's class. Racing was exciting across the board in all classes.

Saturday night saw the second race in the 2013 VRA Sprint Car Series and another first time driver made it to the podium. This week it was Guy Woodward driving Luis Espinosa's #09 sprint car that took the win in the 30 lap feature with an exciting win over Don Ganson. Ganson led Woodward going into the final lap after a great pass on lap 29. However, Ganson ran up into the turn two wall and Woodward regained the lead he had held since lap 15 and went on to take his first ever VRA win. Following Woodward and Ganson to the finish were Jeff Fillingame, opening night winner Tom Hendricks and VRA Senior Champion Clif Warren. Third place finisher Fillingame ran the best race of his VRA career as he led the first 15 laps of the feature before being passed by Woodward and Ganson. Woodward's win moved him into the point lead for the 2013 season as well. Heat race wins went to Don Ganson and Luke Boles. Boles win in heat one was his first ever VRA win in a sprint car.

VRA Senior Sprints continued their season with one heat race. The win in the heat race and the win in the 20 lap main event went to Clif Warren, who later went on to finish fifth in the regular main event as well. The feature win is Clif's third in a row in the new season. The race was all Clif Warren as he lapped all competitors except second place finisher Chris Meredith. Third through fifth went to Mike Cook, Steve Brown and Greg Andrews.

VRA's new Hobby Stock Class was back in action with two new cars coming out to bring the car count to seven for Saturday night. Scott Dinger took the win in their one heat race. Dinger then went on to take the win in the 20 lap main event. He took the lead from early race leader Ernie Malone who led the first 16 laps and led to the checkered flag. Following Dinger to the line in the main were David Heurung, Ernie Malone, Tom Stephens Jr and two time winner Gary Curtis. The Hobby Stocks put on a great race and we are looking forward to the continued growth in this new class as more cars are built and come out to race. Dingers win puts him out front by 45 points over Curtis after three races.

Brennan Rogers took the 20 lap feature win in the VRA Focus Class opener over USAC veteran Wally Pankratz. Third place went to Ashley Hazleton and fourth went to Alexander Bissett. Hazleton who won the last race at Ventura on March 23 took the one heat race victory. Rogers now hold the lead in the 2013 point race.

The California Lightning winged mini sprints were on hand Saturday. Stephen Limon took the 20 lap win over a strong field of 14 starters in the main event. Following him across the line was Tom Downing who led early in the race, Dan Hillberg, Alexander Bissett and Guy Maresch.

The final group racing on Saturday night was our three kids divisions. In VRA Mini Dwarf Superchargers, J D Brown took the heat race win and Andrew Orlando took the 12 lap feature win. Following him in the feature was J d Brown and Will Mimms. In Mini Dwarf Pistons the heat race and feature win went to Garrett Egan. Zack Chavez and Blake Hendricks followed him across the line in the main event. In VRA Junior Midgets, 2012 series champion Nick Velasquez got back to his winning ways by taking the 15 lap feature over heat race winner Mike Long.

VRA Sprint Cars

Race #2 03/30/2013

Main Event Results: 1. Guy Woodward, Santa Clarita, 30 Laps; 2. Don Gansen, San Bernardino, 30 Laps; 3. Jeff Fillingame, Santa Paula, 30 Laps; 4. Tom Hendricks, Simi Valley, 30 Laps; 5. Cliff Warren, Camarillo, 30 Laps; 6. Rick Hendrix, Palmdale, 30 Laps; 7. Kyle Smith, Moorpark, 30 Laps; 8. John Nock, Newhall, 30 Laps; 9. Richard Ortega Jr, Camarillo, 30 Laps; 10. Luke Boles, Goleta, 30 Laps; 11. Charlie Butcher, Santa Barbara, 30 Laps; 12. Derek Buckley, Ojai, 29 Laps; 13. Chris Gansen, San Bernardino, 29 Laps; 14. David Taylor Jr., Moorpark, 29 Laps; 15. Chris Meredith, Thousand Oaks, 17 Laps

Lap Leaders: Jeff Fillingame (1-14), Guy Woodward (15-28), Don Gansen (29), Guy Woodward (30)

Heat Race Winners: Extreme Mufflers Heat 1: Luke Boles; Saldana Racing Products Heat 2: Don Gansen

Top 10 in points: 1. Guy Woodward, 485; 2. Tom Hendricks, 460; 3. Rick Hendrix, 405; 4. Jeff Fillingame, 400; 5. Luke Boles, 345; 6. Kyle Smith, 330; 7. John Nock, 325; 8. David Taylor Jr., 250; 9. Don Gansen, 240; 10. Victor Davis, 200

-----------------------------------------------

VRA Senior Sprints

Race #3 03/30/2013

Main Event Results: 1. Cliff Warren, Camarillo, 20 Laps; 2. Chris Meredith, Thousand Oaks, 20 Laps; 3. Mike Cook, Long Beach, 19 Laps; 4. Steve Brown, Ontario, Ca, 19 Laps; 5. Greg Andrews, Fillmore, Ca, 19 Laps; 6. Wally Pankratz, Orange, 0 Laps

Lap Leaders: Cliff Warren (1-20)

Heat Race Winners: SpinTech Mufflers Heat 1: Cliff Warren

Top 10 in points: 1. Cliff Warren, 745; 2. Chris Meredith, 615; 3. Mike Cook, 575; 4. Steve Brown, 560; 5. Ed Schwarz, 465; 6. Wally Pankratz, 370; 7. Greg Andrews, 365; 8. Victor Davis, 200; 9. Bruce Douglass, 180; 10. Ron Bach, 175

-----------------------------------------------

Ford Focus

Race #3 03/30/2013

Main Event Results: 1. Brennan Rogers, Camarillo, 20 Laps; 2. Wally Pankratz, Orange, 20 Laps; 3. Ashley Hazelton, Northridge, 20 Laps; 4. Alexander Bissett, Hemet, 19 Laps

Lap Leaders: Brennan Rogers (1-20)

Heat Race Winners: Heat 1: Ashley Hazelton

Top 10 in points: 1. Brennan Rogers, 715; 2. Ashley Hazelton, 510; 3. Wally Pankratz, 480; 4. Courtney Crone, 230; 5. Steve Brown, 210; 5. Christine Breckenridge, 210; 7. Clayton Ruston, 195; 8. Alexander Bissett, 0; 8. Austin Blair, 0

-----------------------------------------------

VRA Hobby Stocks

Race #3 03/30/2013

Main Event Results: 1. Scott Dinger, Simi Valley, 20 Laps; 2. David Heurung, 20 Laps; 3. Ernie Malone, Ojai, 20 Laps; 4. Tom Stephens Jr, Ventura, 20 Laps; 5. Gary Curtis, Camarillo, 20 Laps; 6. Randal Dougan, Camarillo, 20 Laps; 7. Eric C. Lopez, Bakersfield, Did not show

Lap Leaders: Ernie Malone (1-16), Scott Dinger (17-20)

Heat Race Winners: Heat 1: Scott Dinger

Top 10 in points: 1. Scott Dinger, 740; 2. Gary Curtis, 695; 3. Ernie Malone, 645; 4. David Heurung, 635; 5. Tom Stephens Jr, 385; 6. Randal Dougan, 175; 7. Eric C. Lopez, 15

-----------------------------------------------

VRA Junior Midgets

Race #3 03/30/2013

Main Event Results: 1. Nick Velasquez, Camarillo, 15 Laps; 2. Mike Long, Thousand Oaks, 15 Laps

Heat Race Winners: Heat 1: Mike Long

Top 10 in points: 1. Nick Velasquez, 775; 2. Mike Long, 475; 3. Jake Aguilar, 235

-----------------------------------------------

VRA Mini Dwarf - Pistons

Race #3 03/30/2013

Main Event Results: 1. Garrett Egan, Saugus, 12 Laps; 2. Zack Chavez, Santa Paula, 12 Laps; 3. Blake Hendricks, Simi Valley, 12 Laps

Heat Race Winners: Heat 1: Garrett Egan

Top 10 in points: ; 3. Blake Hendricks, 0; 3. Dylan Neal, 0; 3. Garrett Egan, 0; 3. Zack Chavez, 0

-----------------------------------------------

VRA Mini Dwarf - Superchargers

Race #3 03/30/2013

Main Event Results: 1. Andrew Orlando, Bakersfield, 12 Laps; 2. J D Brown, Port Hueneme, 12 Laps; 3. Will Mimms, 11 Laps

Heat Race Winners: Heat 1: J D Brown

Top 10 in points: 1. J D Brown, 755; 2. Andrew Orlando, 495; 3. Will Mimms, 430; 4. Bailey Hendricks, 235