Rowe Catches Moore, Wins Main at Ventura : Auto racing: Fillmore driver races to checkered flag after opponent blows tire three laps from finish.

Even when Paul Moore isn’t driving his specialty, Street Stocks, he’s still a tough driver to beat. Steve Rowe of Fillmore, the IMCA modified points leader, trailed Moore until the Oak View driver blew a tire and withdrew on the 17th lap of the IMCA 20-lap oval main event before a capacity crowd of 3,600 Friday night at Ventura Raceway.

“Racing is a lot of ‘what ifs,’ ” said Moore, who was competing in only his second IMCA race. “I think I could have won if my tire had not blown.”

Moore was on pace for his third win of the night, having won Street Stock and IMCA heat races earlier. Rowe, who won the last IMCA oval main at Ventura last month, maintains a slim lead over Ventura driver Don Keeter in the points standings.

Ron Bartels of Hawthorne won his first Street Stock oval main event of the season, holding off the division’s top two drivers, Moore and Goleta’s James Weston.

Mini Stock points leader Gary Hubert of Somis won the 15-lap oval main event, holding off Camarillo driver Tim Gill, who won the previous oval main two weeks ago at Ventura. Hubert’s wife Jan won the figure-eight Pony Stock main event for the fourth time this season.

Mira Cook of Camarillo ended Jan Hubert’s two-week hold of the Pony Stock oval main-event title with a wire-to-wire victory over Jody Houchin. Cook remains in second place in the series’ divisional standings behind Oak View’s Scott Boucher.

Santa Paula driver Mike Bryan won the Street Stock semi-main event, as did Santa Maria’s Mike Trogdon.

Divisional points leader Moore overtook Ron Raff on the final turn to win the first Street Stock heat race. Curtis Dietsch and Agoura’s Scott Niven each won Street Stock heats.

Ventura brothers Chris and Mike Raschke swept the Mini Stock heat race. Boucher, despite trailing smoke from an overheated engine, won a Pony Stock heat race, as did Houchin.