Sills Rallies to Take Accident-Marred Midget Main at Ventura

The U.S. Auto Club’s Western States Midget main event at Ventura Raceway on Saturday night resembled a series of rush-hour freeway pileups.

After the yellow flags cleared in the wake of six different accidents, Jimmy Sills, 38, of Placerville, Calif., emerged from the pack to win the 30-lap feature event before 3,722.

Sills, who started ninth, managed to avoid two different five-car pileups and finally moved into second place to challenge leader Robby Flock of Temecula by Lap 17. No one was injured in the accidents.

Sills rode high on the cushion of the quarter-mile dirt oval the next few laps and finally powered past Flock on Lap 24. He took the checkered flag by two car lengths.

“I started back in the pack but I was able to move up quickly and avoid the accidents,” Sills said. “You are likely to get caught in a wreck if you don’t get out front early and it also allowed me to get in a position where I could race one on one with Flock.”

Sills won for the second time this year in the nationally televised series. Flock was second, Robbie Stanley of Brownsburg, Ind., was third and Joe Gaerte of Rochester, Ind., was fourth.

Only nine cars in a field of 20 finished.