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Traditional Sprint Car FanSite |
See You At The Races!!! |
| Press Release |
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SPORT COMPACTS OPENER, USAC CARS HIGHLIGHT RACEWAY CARD |
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VENTURA, Calif. (March 12, 2008) – Joel Chavez knows how to stay
busy. The defending Sport Compact champion at Ventura Raceway,
Chavez will return to defend his championship when the division
makes its 2008 debut at the track Saturday. That alone would be
enough to keep most people occupied, but Chavez has plenty more
activities.
Ventura Raceway’s spectator gates open at 3:30 on Saturday. The Sport Compact cars will be joined by the United States Auto Club’s Ford Focus Midget California Dirt Championship series, the Ford Focus Junior Midgets and the Ventura Racing Association Sprints and Senior Sprints. In addition to defending his title, Chavez plans to field a Sport Compact car for his son, Joel Chavez Jr. Joel Sr. will also race a Dwarf car this season. “I got (the Dwarf car) just to try something different,” Chavez said. “I’m definitely going to defend my title.” Chavez Sr., 35, is a lifelong Santa Paula resident. He and his wife Christi have four children. Joel Chavez Jr. will drive the same 1991 Acura Integra that Senior drove to the championship last season. Joel Senior will drive a recently built 1994 Integra. “It’s mostly waiting for the right moment to pass the people you need to pass to get to the front,” the champ said about winning. It’s a good formula. Chavez won seven times in 12 races in 2007 and never finished worse than fourth in a main event. USAC’s California Dirt Ford Focus Midgets and Junior Focus Midgets will race for the first time this season. The two divisions have become important building block classes for some of the top open wheel drivers in the Western United States. Nick Carlson is the defending race champion in the Ford Focus Midget class and will be among the favorites this weekend. He won the season opener at Ventura in 2007 and book ended the season by winning the series finale there. Carlson is from Norwalk and finished third in the 2007 standings. J.R. Williams, the Carson City, Nev. campaigner, finished fifth twice at Ventura last year and finished sixth another time. Williams is 74 years old. More information about Ventura Raceway is available at www.venturaraceway.com. VENTURA RACEWAY UNOFFICIAL STANDINGS VRA Sprint Cars: 1. John Nock, Newhall, 255; 2. Dennis Rodriguez,
Camarillo, 235; 3. Richard McCormick, Aqua Dulce, 210; 4. Tom
Hendricks, Simi Valley, 195; 4. Johnathon Henry, Stockton, 195; 6.
Rick Hendrix, Palmdale, 185; 7. Greg Alexander, Gardena, 170; 7.
Alex Schutte, Redding, 170; 7. Guy Woodward, Santa Clarita, 170; 10.
Tony Dighera, Thousand Oaks, 160. |
