Hart Makes Quick Work of Axle, Midget Field at Ventura Raceway

Location proved a valuable asset for Ventura’s Dennis Hart in Saturday’s United States Auto Club’s Western States Series 30-lap Midget main event at Ventura Raceway.

After bending his front axle in the first heat race, Hart, who owns a shop where he builds race cars about a mile from the track, rushed to his store and repaired the axle, then returned in time to make the semi-main event. Hart won that event to qualify for the main event, which he also went on to win.

The victory, before a crowd of 2,800, was Hart’s first career win in a Midget main event.

Hart who found the fast inside groove during the semi-main race, went inside on Lap 8 of the main event to power past Kevin Olson of McChesney Park, Ill., and open a sizable lead.

A yellow flag on Lap 19 bunched the field, but Hart kept to the low inside track again and held off hard-charging challengers Robby Flock of Whittier, Page Jones of Rolling Hills and Sleepy Tripp of Costa Mesa.

“I got a little nervous from all the pressure the last few laps,” Hart said. “But the car was running good and with a little luck I knew I would win it.”

With his fourth-place finish, Tripp’s quest to establish a USAC record for main-event wins was delayed at least another week. The late Rich Vogler and Trip are tied for first with 131 wins.

In other action, the Midget 10-lap heat races were dominated by out-of-state drivers. Winners were Dan Ford of St. Peters, Mo.; Andy Pierce of Bartlesville, Okla.; Rauch; and Tripp.

Cory Kruseman of Ventura won the 20-lap three-quarter Midget main event, his second main-event victory of the season. Rick Hendrix of Canoga Park was second and Gary Schroeder of Burbank was third.