Current Leader Beats ’89 Champ at Ventura

Don Keeter of Ventura showed Friday night why he is leading the Street Stock oval-track season points standings at Ventura Raceway.

Keeter used his track skills and the power of his Camaro to overtake defending Street Stock season points champion Charles Utts of Camarillo on Lap 5 and go on to win the 15-lap oval-track main event.

Utts won the championship last year in a Camaro, but he made his first appearance of this season at Ventura in his backup Plymouth Fury. Utts finished fourth while battling his longer wheel-based car around the short quarter-mile dirt track.

Keeter drove to his fourth oval main victory of the season as Jim Powell Jr. of Cypress finished a close second and Bill Famularo of Simi Valley was third.

Doug Thornton of Ventura led wire to wire in the Mini Stock 20-lap oval-track main event to gain his first main-event win.

Thornton edged season points leader Marty Desbrow of Ventura, who fought his way from 15th place to second. Randy Bingham of Camarillo was third.

It turned out to be a race of attrition in the Mini Stock six-lap figure-eight main event. Seven cars started the race, but only three remained to finish the final lap with Van Nuys’ Russ Warren taking the checkered flag for his third victory of the season in that event.

Figure-eight season points leader Richard Webster of Camarillo finished second and Joe Silva of Port Hueneme was third.

Bill Brandt of Camarillo gained his first Ventura Raceway career win in the Street Stock seven-lap figure-eight main event, going wire-to-wire. The win propelled him from 14th place to ninth in the points standings.

Jessie Verdon and Brett Miller, both of Oxnard, were second and third.

Bingham advanced from fourth to the lead on the first lap and went on an easy win in the Mini Stock eight-lap fast-heat race.

Thornton won the other Mini Stock heat.

Racing continues tonight at 6:30 with the Ventura Motocross Series and Class 1600 Off-Road Buggies.