Raschke Wins Ventura Mini Stock Main

Mike Raschke of Ventura returned to the winner’s circle for the first time in 1993 with a hard-fought victory in the Mini Stock 15-lap oval main event Friday night at Ventura Raceway.

Raschke and Joe Silva of Port Hueneme started on the front row and they engaged in a side-by-side battle for 10 laps before Raschke finally slipped past Silva on the start of Lap 11. Silva was second and Tim Gill of Somis was third.

Season points leader Gary Hubert of Camarillo left the race on Lap 8 with mechanical trouble and did not return to the race.

Paul Moore of Oxnard became the first three-time main event winner in the Street Stock division with a victory in the 15-lap oval main event.

Moore took over the lead from Ventura’s Tom Stephens on Lap 7 when Stephens left the race with mechanical problems. Moore finished by a wide margin ahead of James Weston of Santa Barbara. Ron Bartels of Hawthorne was third.

Ryan Cole of Santa Maria won the IMCA 15-lap main event, holding off Steve Rowe of Fillmore, who had battled back from a crash on Lap 5 that sent him to the back of the pack. Leonard Rowe of Oxnard, Steve’s father, finished third.

In only his second week of competition in the Pony Stock division, Jody Houchin of Ventura racked up victories in the heat race, the 10-lap oval main and figure-eight main events.

Stephens won for the fourth time this season in the Street Stock figure-eight main event to maintain a commanding points lead in that division. Richard Webster of Camarillo won for the first time this year in the Mini Stock figure-eight main.