Ventura County Fair Program to Feature 2 Days of Racing

The second “Motorsports Extravaganza” will highlight the Ventura County Fair’s opening weekend of activities at the fairground’s seaside quarter-mile dirt oval track.

The “West Coast Clash,” which will feature the United States Auto Club’s Midgets and three-quarter Midgets, will headline the action tonight at 7 with 30- and 20-lap races in each class.

A $2,500 purse to win, the largest of the season at Ventura, is expected to draw some top-notch open-wheel drivers, including the California Racing Assn.’s leading sprint-car drivers, Lealand McSpadden of Tempe, Ariz., and Brad Nofsinger of Huntington Beach.

An extremely tight USAC Western States Series season points race will feature defending Midget champion Sleepy Tripp of Costa Mesa, who leads Whittier’s Robby Flock by 14 points.

Tripp comes to Ventura with two USAC and five Western States championships and a record 134 USAC Midget main-event wins.

The three-quarter Midget season points race also is close. Burbank’s Gary Schroeder leads Ventura’s Cory Kruseman by two points and Burbank’s Frank Deiny Jr. by eight.

Street Stock and Mini Stock action will be featured beginning at 6 p.m. Sunday.

The largest purse of the season, $600 to win, in the oval track main event in each division, is expected to draw more than 50 entrants.

A $300 purse to win also is up for grabs in figure-eight races for each division.

Current oval track season points leaders Paul Moore of Oak View (Street Stock) and Marty Desbrow of Ventura (Mini Stock) did not fare well in last year’s race. Both have been dominating this season, however, each recording six main-event wins.

More than 50 cars will take to the track at the conclusion of the stock car program as Lynn Mennick of Ventura will seek his second consecutive demolition derby championship and the $1,000 that goes to the winner.