MOTOR RACING / VINCE KOWALICK : Higgins Leaves Las Vegas With Money in His Pocket

So what if John Higgins didn’t come away a winner in Las Vegas? Who does?

Higgins struck pay dirt anyway by finishing second last weekend in the Las Vegas 100 at Las Vegas International Speedway. For his efforts, Higgins, a 26-year-old Sportsman driver from Simi Valley, pocketed $1,200.

“That’s the most we’ve ever won and the best we’ve ever done (considering) the competition we were up against,” said Higgins, who is tied for second in the Sportsman points standings at Saugus Speedway. “A lot of good drivers were there.”

First-place purses for Sportsman main events at Saugus and other local tracks typically are about $600. With Las Vegas promoters dangling a $14,000 purse, including a first-place prize of $2,000, Higgins was among nine area drivers who took advantage of a scheduling break at local tracks and ventured to Las Vegas.

Higgins qualified second (16.95 seconds) and led the main event for 30 laps before finishing behind Mike Ray of Las Vegas.

“We put a tremendous amount of effort into this race,” Higgins said. “We didn’t go gambling or do any of that stuff while we were there. It was a strict racing trip.”

Money wasn’t the only reason Higgins hit the road. He entered the weekend ranked 55th nationally among drivers in the point standings of the NASCAR Sunbelt Region, which provides drivers at small tracks throughout Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, Texas, Arizona, Nevada and California an opportunity to compete for a national title.

Sunbelt Region drivers count their best 20 finishes during the 22-week Winston Racing Series season, which ends Sept. 12.

At Saugus, Higgins has not won a main event this season, but he has finished second twice and placed among the top five six times. Sean Woodside of Saugus (170 points) is the Sportsman points leader. Higgins and Pat Mintey Jr. of Quartz Hill have 158 points as the Sportsmans return to Saugus tonight at 7.

Although Higgins is ranked highest in the Sunbelt standings among area drivers, winning a national championship, he concedes, is a long shot.

“Our beginning-of-the-year goal was a top-10 finish,” Higgins said. “We’re way off that, but you gotta set something and go for it. To rank well in the Sunbelt standings, I guess, is what we’re going for. And the year isn’t over yet.”

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Add dollars: Eight other area drivers made a run for the money to Las Vegas: Russ Beckers of Sepulveda, Ron Hornaday Jr. of Palmdale, Tim Huddleston of North Hills, Ray Hooper Jr. of Sylmar, Nick Joanides of Woodland Hills, Larry Krieger of Reseda, Ken Sapper of La Crescenta and Marty Stowell of Canyon Country.

Hooper and Hornaday, defending champion and current points leader of the NASCAR Southwest Tour, recorded heat-race victories. Beckers and Krieger finished third in heat races. Huddleston, sixth in Sportsman points at Saugus, finished second in the trophy dash.

Krieger’s run in the main event ended violently when his car flipped and landed on its roof on the 72nd lap. Krieger, who was in second place at the time, was not hurt, but another crash was the last thing he needed.

Krieger endured a severe crash during a practice session at Saugus in 1991 that resulted in sprained vertebrae in his neck. Because of the injury and subsequent financial difficulties, Krieger, a former Saugus front-runner, has competed part time at various tracks ever since.

“I’ve had so many (accidents) now, it didn’t really hurt me,” Krieger said. “First time I ever flipped a car. I was skidding on the roof for a long time.”

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Winston West: After a two-week break, the NASCAR Winston West series resumes at Coos Bay International Speedway in Coos Bay, Ore. The series is making its first visit to the third-mile paved oval since 1978.

That should make for interesting competition because few of the regular competitors with the series have driven at Coos Bay. The only driver currently with the series who raced at Coos Bay in 1978 is Hershel McGriff of Portland, a 65-year-old, 22-year Winston West veteran.

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Miscellany: Lorin Reed, a driver with the visiting Super Modified Racing Assn., recorded the fastest one-lap qualifying mark in Saugus Speedway history last weekend, clocking 14.93 seconds (80.38 m.p.h.). The mark is believed to be the first sub-15-second lap recorded by any driver in any class at Saugus. Brad Billings of South El Monte also established a new qualifying mark for Mini Stocks, recording a one-lap time of 18.87 seconds (63.59). . . .

Mike Kiedrowski of Acton is ranked first in the American Motorcycle Assn. 250cc national championship points standings after finishing tied for first last weekend at New Berlin, N.Y. After six of eight events, Kiedrowski has 289 points. Mike LaRocco of La Porte, Ind., is second with 211. Jeff Emig of Highland Ranch is third and Erik Kehoe of Saugus ranks fourth in the AMA 125cc points standings after six of 12 events. Emig finished third and Kehoe fifth last weekend in New Berlin.

USAC full and three-quarter Midgets are scheduled to run tonight at Tucson Raceway Park. Sleepy Tripp of Costa Mesa is atop the full Midget points standings after driving to his 97th victory last weekend at Saugus.

Scott Hansen of Simi Valley has slipped from first to third in the three-quarter Midget standings. Corey Kruseman of Ventura is seventh.