By Dick Jordan
The “Battle at the Beach” returns to Ventura (Calif.) Raceway Saturday night and Ronnie Gardner will lead the USAC Western Midgets back to the one-fifth mile dirt oval overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Gardner finished second to Jake Swanson in last Saturday’s 30-lap race at the Santa Maria (Calif.) Speedway and he and Swanson enter Saturday’s race in a virtual tie for the Western Midget Dirt point lead.
Swanson, of Anaheim, Calif., scored his first USAC Western Midget feature victory at Santa Maria, leading all 25 laps in the process. Gardner took second ahead of T.J. Smith, Cody Swanson and David Prickett. Nic Faas was the fastest qualifier.
Gardner and Swanson finished 1-2 in the April 6 race at Ventura and Saturday’s race should provide for a spectacular rematch.
2013 USAC WESTERN MIDGET DIRT POINTS: 1-Ronnie Gardner-284, 2-Jake Swanson-284, 3-David Prickett-235, 4-Cody Swanson-156, 5-Bryan Clauson-143, 6-Kody Swanson-140, 7-Shannon McQueen-139, 8-Scott Pierovich-138, 9-Rico Abreu-128, 10-Christopher Bell-125.
2013 USAC WESTERN MIDGET POINTS: 1-Ronnie Gardner-284, 2-Jake Swanson-284, 3-David Prickett-235, 4-Kody Swanson-212; 5-Scott Pierovich-200, 6-Cody Swanson-156, 7-Frankie Guerrini-151, 8-Bryan Clauson-143, 9-Shannon McQueen-139, 10-Rico Abreu-128.