Racing Returns to Ventura for Fair Program

After a three-week absence, racing will return to Ventura Raceway with a bang this weekend for the Ventura County Fair’s Motorsports Weekend.

Additional seats have been installed in turns 1 and 2, boosting the seaside track’s capacity to 5,000 and fueling hopes for attendance records during the Fair program.

Ventura Raceway’s regular stock car series will kick off three consecutive nights of racing Friday. Street Stock, Mini Stock and IMCA Modified race cars will compete on the quarter-mile dirt oval for a total purse of $5,400. A demolition derby will conclude the night’s activities and the winner of that event will take home $850.

Racing begins at 8 p.m.

The U.S. Auto Club’s Midgets and three-quarter Midgets will take over the track Saturday. Sleepy Tripp of Costa Mesa, the season points leader, will head a field of more than 40 entrants in pursuit of a $2,500 purse. Rick Hendrix of Simi Valley, who leads the three-quarter Midget points standings, will face another field of more than 40 in that division, with $600 going to the winner.

The action gets under way at 7 on Saturday night.

On Sunday, the Motocross and Stadium Off-Road Series takes center stage beginning at 4 p.m. Riders of motorcycles from 80cc to 500cc, 250-500cc quads, Class 10-, 12-, and 1600 Buggies, Baja Bugs and Super Odysseys will compete at various skill levels for winners’ checks ranging from $250 to $500.