Brader Wins Spin-Plagued Ventura Race

Lynn Brader survived a wild ride Friday night at the Ventura Raceway to win the Street Stock main event in the Coors Light Silver Bullet stock car series.

Brader, who also won the Street Stock Trophy Dash, managed to steer clear of trouble in a spin-plagued finale. The Somis driver held off points leader Paul Moore of Oak View in a race in which four of 10 drivers lost control and ended up in the infield.

In an earlier heat race, Moore held off several charges from Brader to win.

A bumping incident between Mark Heurung of Ventura and Scott Niven sent Niven head-on into the wall at the start of the backstretch in the first Street Stock heat, and Doug Thornton and Jeff Drake tangled on the back straightaway and came to rest against the fence in the second Mini Stock heat.

Niven was leading midway through the heat when Heurung challenged him inside. Heurung’s car kissed the left side of Niven’s vehicle and Niven went straight into the wall, partially dislodging a section of fence and totaling the Agoura Hills’ driver’s car. Heurung went on to win the heat after a restart, but not before engaging in a heated exchange through the grandstand fence with three angry Niven supporters.

Niven said he was fortunate to avoid serious injury. “The hands are a little sore. That wall is hard,” he said.