Caution Flags Help Moore to Ventura Street Stock Win

The opportunistic Paul Moore has used all of his wiles this year to build a lead in the Coors Light Silver Bullet Stock Car Series and he pulled out more tricks Friday night at the Ventura Raceway to win another Street Stock main event.

Moore, of Oak View, made the most of a pair of yellow caution flags to remain within striking distance of the lead and then swooped in on the final turn to steal a victory from Lynn Brader of Somis by a half-length at the finish.

Moore capitalized twice on the bad luck of Ventura’s Scott Olsen. He won his heat race when Olsen had engine trouble while leading with 1 1/2 laps left and he took the Street Stock main event only after Olsen was slowed by the first of two caution flags at a time when he was running away from the field.

A spin in Turn 1 by Steve Morris led to a collision between Morris and Tom Stephens that brought out the first yellow flag and mechanical failure in John Aitken’s car led to the other caution. Brader and Moore both passed Olsen after the second stoppage to set up their last-lap encounter.

Olsen’s troubles continued in the figure-eight main event in a spin-plagued race as he finished runner-up to Port Hueneme’s Jim Firsich. Gary Garvin of Ventura joined Moore as a heat winner in the Street Stocks and Brader edged Firsich in the trophy dash.

In the Mini Stock main event, Marty Desbrow of Ventura padded his seasonal points lead by outdueling Oxnard’s Jim Jewett. Leonard Rowe won the Mini Stock semi-main event over Robert McMahon and also added a heat-race victory.