Sills Rallies to Win Ventura 30-Lap Midget Main

Stan Fox had been scheduled to run his No. 9 “Beast” Midget in the ESPN-TV national series this month at Ventura Raceway. However, the Janesville, Wis., driver and former United States Auto Club national champion was forbidden by a driving contract from racing until he completes a ride in next month’s Indianapolis 500.

Fox’s absence, however, provided the opportunity for Jimmy Sills of Placerville, Calif., to come from the 12th position and win the USAC Western States Midget 30-lap main event Saturday night before 2,695.

Sleepy Tripp of Costa Mesa appeared to be on his way to a new USAC Midget main event win total of 132 victories, until Sills went high on the cushion and blew by Tripp at the start-finish line of Lap 19.

After Sills opened a sizable lead, an accident on Lap 26 brought out a yellow flag to bunch up the field and give Tripp another shot at the record.

Despite getting his car on two wheels high in Turn 1 of Lap 27, Sills was able to bring the car back down on all four wheels and go on to a five-car-length margin of victory.

“I started in 12th so we had to run where no one else was running up on the high groove,” Sills said. “I got a little too high and bicycled the car, but I kept my momentum, came back down, and slid through on a good part of the race track.”

Tripp finished second, with Robby Flock of Whittier third, and Keith Rauch of Arvada, Colo., fourth.

Ventura’s Cory Kruseman continues to roll past the opposition on his home track, winning his second consecutive three-quarter Midget 20-lap main event. Marc Hart of Ventura, who led for 17 laps before being overtaken by Kruseman, finished second.