Kruseman’s Fortunes Improve in Midget Win

Cory Kruseman got the proverbial monkey off his back Saturday night at Ventura Raceway, driving to a flag-to-flag victory in the United States Auto Club’s 20-lap three-quarter Midget main event before 2,923.

Kruseman took the lead on the opening lap and opened a sizable lead before three separate yellow flag incidents on Lap 7 tightened the field. Kruseman weathered the rough track and kept his car in the lower portion of the track en route to the victory, outdistancing the field by a quarter of a lap.

“After the bad luck I had at the end of last season and the past two weeks, I was on a mission tonight,” said a relieved Kruseman, who had suffered a flat tire and rolled his car the previous two outings.

Kruseman’s win equaled his total victory count for last season and was his ninth three-quarter Midget main event win to put him in fifth place all-time. Scott Hansen of Simi Valley was second.

Warrenne Ekins chased Sleepy Tripp of Costa Mesa all 30 laps of the Midget feature, but the Australian driver could not catch the seven-time Western States champion as Tripp won for the first time this season and for the 16th time in his career at Ventura.

Shane Scully of Encino took the lead from Randy Moody of Ventura at the midway point of the three-quarter Midget 12-lap semi-main event and went on to win and qualify for the feature.