Moore, Garrety Post Wins in Stock Races at Ventura

Track officials at Ventura Raceway became so wrapped up in promoting tonight’s program--the final national telecast of the U. S. Auto Club’s Midget competition--that they almost ran out of time before completing Friday night’s stock car races.

Although the program was behind schedule all night, both the Street Stock and Mini Stock 20-lap oval main events were squeezed in just before the city of Ventura’s 11 p.m. curfew.

In the Street Stock race, Paul Moore of Oxnard beat Rob Geurin of Harbor, and in the Mini Sotck competition, Oxnard’s Pat Garrety finished ahead of Jeff Drake of Santa Paula.

In other races, Tim Gill of Camarillo and Garrety of each won a Mini Stock eight-lap heat race and Harley Barrett of Oxnard, Dave Hume of Ventura, and Moore won their respective Street Stock heat races.

Mike Kirby of Lomita had an open week on his CRA Sprint Car schedule after winning the main event at Hanford last weekend, so he climbed back into his old Street Stock car and won the four-lap trophy dash.

Steve Rowe of Fillmore, meanwhile, took the checkered flag for the second consecutive week in the Mini-Stock race.

Fast one-lap qualifying times were set by Bill Famularo of Simi Valley in the Street Stock division, in which he posted a time of 17.475 seconds.

Marty Desbrow of Ventura recorded his second consecutive quick-time in the Mini Stock division with a 17.434-second clocking.

Racing continues tonight at Ventura Raceway with the final ESPN telecast of the USAC Western States Midget and Three-Quarter Midget series.

Racing begins at 6. Mini Stocks and the new Modified Minis will run next Friday at 8.