By Lance Jennings and surfnsprint.com
VENTURA, CA – JULY 27, 2010… Ventura’s Greg Taylor scored his fourth win of the year at Jim Naylor’s Ventura Raceway last Saturday night. The 2007 series champion took the lead from Marcus Niemela on lap twenty-six on his way to the VRA 30-lap feature victory and cut into Troy Rutherford’s point lead.
Piloting the #7 Taylor Trucking & Crane Service / Four Paws Pet Grooming entry, Taylor won the 10-lap Kaeding Performance Heat Race #3. That win marked his fourth heat race victory of the 2010 campaign. Starting seventh in the main event, Taylor methodically worked his way forward to challenge leader Marcus Niemela during the closing laps. Executing a brilliant power move, Greg passed the rookie to claim the win and his fourteenth top-10 finish of the year ahead of Niemela, Cory Kruseman, Josh Ford, and Steve Conrad. Taylor is second in the point chase, 285 points behind Ojai’s Troy Rutherford.
Santa Barbara’s Marcus Niemela continues to improve during his rookie season with the VRA Sprint Car Series. Driving the Polly Gallimore backed #3 machine, Niemela was second to Greg Taylor in his heat race. Starting on the pole position of the feature, Marcus got the jump on Scott Hansen and led the first twenty-five laps before falling to Taylor. Niemela held on to finish second, earning his best drive of the year and third top-10 performance. Marcus has one heat race victory and is eighteenth in the point standings.
Ventura’s Cory Kruseman took advantage of a night off with the USAC/CRA Sprints and USAC Western Midgets to race with VRA. The 2006 USAC/CRA champion drove his Lucas Oil / Agromin Soil #21K entry to the LRB Manufacturing Heat Race #1 victory, his third 10 lap win of the year. Starting sixth in the feature, “The Kruser” finished third, his second top-10 finish of the year. In limited action with VRA, Cory has one feature win and is currently twenty-sixth in the point chase.
Josh Ford of Camarillo recorded his twelfth top-10 finish of the year with his fourth place drive. Piloting the #73 King Racing Products / A&A Precision Machining car, Ford was second in his heat race to 2006 series champion Luis Espinoza. Currently fourth in the point standings, the former USAC National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year has one feature victory and four heat race wins to his credit.
Quartz Hill’s Steve Conrad drove to his eleventh top-10 finish of the season with a fifth place run after starting thirteenth. Driving the #56 Roy Miller Freight Lines / SC Grafix machine, Conrad placed fourth in his heat race and is currently seventh in the point chase. The veteran driver has two heat race victories on the year.
Troy Rutherford of Ojai earned the Sushi Fresh Hard Charger Award with a sixth place drive after starting seventeenth. Piloting the Trench Shoring / L&H Consulting #11 entry, the series point leader crashed in his heat race, scoring an eighth place finish. Rutherford won the ITI Performance Semi-Main, transferring to the feature along with Charlie Butcher, Jeff Fillingame, and John Nock. The former SCRA Sprint Car Rookie of the Year has four main event victories, eleven heat race wins, and fourteen top-10 finishes on the season.
Camarillo’s Brian Camarillo drove to victory in the Steve Watt Enterprises Heat Race #2. The win marked his seventh 10-lap triumph of the season. Driving the #22C Agromin / Waste Management car, Camarillo finished eleventh in the main event after starting ninth. Sitting eighth in the point standings, Brian has nine top-10 finishes and one semi-main win to his credit.
Luis Espinoza of Castaic won his first heat race of the season with a victory in the Lucas Oil / Fast Undercar Heat Race #4. The 2006 series champion took his #09 Tom Ingram Motorsports / Motobalm machine to a ninth place finish after starting fifth. Espinoza is seventeenth in the point chase, with three top-10 finishes on the year.
The VRA Sprint Car Series would like to thank Fast Undercar, ITI Performance, Kaeding Performance, LRB Manufacturing, Lucas Oil, Snap On Tools, Steve Watt Enterprises, Sushi Fresh, and Twister-X for their support.
Ventura Raceway held five other companion main events on the night. Oak Park’s Rob Kershaw won in VRA Senior Sprint action, with Danny Lauer taking the win with the IMCA Modifieds. Trevor Fitzgibbon claimed the Sport Compact victory, while Tanner Kershaw won with the USAC Young Gun division. Robert DelGaudio scored the win with the VRA Go Kart class.
The VRA Sprint Car Series will take a break for the Ventura County Fair and will return on August 28th. Ventura Raceway will be dark this Saturday, July 31st. “The Best Little Dirt Track In America” will be in operation during the Fair on August 4th with the VRA Dwarf Cars, USAC Focus Midgets, USAC Young Guns, Mini Dwarfs, Junior Midgets and a Demolition Derby. The following night, the track will host the IMCA Modifieds, VRA Sport Compacts, Go Karts and a Demolition Derby. For more event information, please visit www.venturaraceway.com.
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VRA SPRINT CAR RACE RESULTS:
Ventura Raceway – Ventura, California
July 24, 2010
ENTRIES: ( Car / Driver Name / Points)
2 Kevin Kierce 125; 2T Ken Marini 10; 3 Marcus Niemela 235; 3M Denny McVey 10; 5K Kenny Perkins 15; 7 Greg Taylor 260; 09 Luis Espinoza 175; 11 Troy Rutherford 160; 15 Rick Hendrix 145; 20K Dakota Kershaw 175; 21k Cory Kruseman 225; 22c Brian Camarillo 165; 24 Guy Woodward 15; 27K Cody Kershaw 105; 29K Hobie Conway 10; 29s Michael Steele 15; 33 Scott Hansen 140; 49x Jeff Fillingame 120; 51c Brent Camarillo 115; 56 Steve Conrad 190; 57 Steve Hix 20; 65 Austin DeBlauw 5; 72 Greg Alexander 15; 73 Josh Ford 210; 76 Derek Buckley 170; 81 Don Gansen 155; 83 John Nock 120; 91R Brody Roa 145; 92 Brandon Thomson 20; 96k Charlie Butcher 115.
LRB MANUFACTURING HEAT RACE 1: (10 laps)
1. Cory Kruseman, 2. Scott Hansen, 3. Brent Camarillo, 4. Don Gansen, 5. Steve Hix, 6. Greg Alexander, 7. Hobie Conway, 8. Austin DeBlauw.
STEVE WATT ENTERPRISES HEAT RACE 2: (10 laps)
1. Brian Camarillo, 2. Kevin Kierce, 3. Dakota Kershaw, 4. Cody Kershaw, 5. Charlie Butcher, 6. Guy Woodward, 7. Ken Marini, 8. Troy Rutherford.
KAEDING PERFORMANCE HEAT RACE 3: (10 laps)
1. Greg Taylor, 2. Marcus Niemela, 3. Brody Roa, 4. Steve Conrad, 5. Jeff Fillingame, 6. Michael Steele, 7. Denny McVey.
LUCAS OIL / FAST UNDECAR HEAT RACE 4: (10 laps)
1. Luis Espinoza, 2. Josh Ford, 3. Derek Buckley, 4. Rick Hendrix, 5. Brandon Thomson, 6. Kenny Perkins, 7. John Nock.
ITI PERFORMANCE SEMI-MAIN: (12 laps)
1. Troy Rutherford, 2. Charlie Butcher, 3. Jeff Fillingame, 4. John Nock, 5. Kenny Perkins, 6. Steve Hix, 7. Austin DeBlauw, 8. Michael Steele, 9. Guy Woodward, 10. Ken Marini, 11. Greg Alexander, 12. Hobie Conway, 13. Brandon Thomson, 14. Denny McVey (DNS).
FEATURE: (30 laps – With Starting Positions)
1. Greg Taylor (7th), 2. Marcus Niemela (1st), 3. Cory Kruseman (6th), 4. Josh Ford (3rd), 5. Steve Conrad (13th), 6. Troy Rutherford (17th), 7. Dakota Kershaw (10th), 8. Derek Buckley (12th), 9. Luis Espinoza (5th), 10. Don Gansen (15th), 11. Brian Camarillo (9th), 12. Rick Hendrix (16th), 13. Brody Roa (11th), 14. John Nock (20th) 15. Scott Hansen (2nd), 16. Jeff Fillingame (19th), 17. Charlie Butcher (18th), 18. Kevin Kierce (4th), 19. Brent Camarillo (8th), 20. Cody Kershaw.
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**Brent Camarillo flipped during the feature.
FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-25 Marcus Niemela, Laps 26-30 Greg Taylor.
SUSHI FRESH HARD CHARGER: Troy Rutherford (17th to 6th)
VRA SPRINT CAR POINT STANDINGS:
1. Troy Rutherford 3345; 2. Greg Taylor 3060; 3. Kevin Kierce 2910; 4. Josh Ford 2885; 5. Brian Camarillo 2550; 6. Rick Hendrix 2530; 7. Steve Conrad 2395; 8. Brent Camarillo 2255; 9. Don Gansen 2105; 10. Justin Kierce 1685; 11. Cody Kershaw 1565; 12. Dakota Kershaw 1485; 13. Brody Roa 1480; 14. Guy Woodward 1465; 15. Kenny Perkins 1425; 16. John Nock 1275; 17. Luis Espinoza 1175; 18. Marcus Niemela 1145; 19. Brandon Thomson 1100; 20. Scott Hansen 1010.
NEXT VRA SPRINT CAR RACE:
August 28 – Ventura Raceway – Ventura, California