Brader Edges Utts in Street Stock Main

It was touch and go all the way.

Lynn Brader of Somis and oval track points leader Charles Utts of Camarillo were door to door sliding through the final turn of the 15-lap Street Stock main event at Ventura Raceway on Friday night, but Brader nosed out Utts at the finish line to win his second main event of the season. Jeff Bosley of Camarillo was third.

The tables were turned in an earlier heat race. Utts overtook Brader on Lap 5 and won his fifth Street Stock eight-lap heat race of the season. Don Green of Ventura led the entire way in another Street Stock heat race.

Camarillo’s Gary Curtis won his second consecutive figure 8 main event in a tough battle with point leader Rock Ake Jr. of Moorpark. Curtis took the lead on the second lap, passing Bill Atwood of Ventura, and held off Ake the remainder of the eight-lap race to win by two car lengths. Atwood placed third.

Bosley, the Street Stock figure 8 points leader, suffered the same fate as Ake when Ventura’s Scott Olsen took control on Lap 2 en route to his second figure 8 main-event win of the season. Bosley finished a close second and Dave Hume of Ventura was third.

Ake won the 20-lap Mini Stock main event on the final lap after leader Bill Floyd of Ventura bumped another car and spun into the infield, allowing Ake to take the checkered flag. Marty Desbrow and Kevin Parker finished second and third.

Curtis fought past Camarillo’s Randy Bingham on the sixth lap to win an eight-lap Mini Stock heat race. Paul Moore of Oxnard drove to the other heat-race win.

Trophy-dash winners were Oxnard’s Chet Dobson, in the Street Stock division, and Curtis, in the Mini Stock division.

Utts posted the fastest Street Stock qualifying time (17.29) and Ventura’s Nick Magley turned in the fastest Mini Stock time (17.48).