Jones Captures Midget Main in Ventura Raceway Opener

Page Jones of Torrance, the son of two-time Indy 500 winner Parnelli Jones, passed pole-sitting Ron Shuman in the first turn and led the rest of the race to win the 30-lap USAC midget main event Saturday in the Ventura Raceway season opener.

Jones survived three caution flags and an apparent handling problem to win the race. He opened up a quarter-lap lead by the fifth lap before the first caution flag came up on Lap 8 when his teammate, Jason Leffler of Long Beach, spun.

John Cofer of Macdoel, Calif., won the 12-lap midget semi-main event in 2:09.50.

In the three-quarter main event, Simi Valley’s Scott Hansen, who was the fastest qualifier at 13.388, led 11 of 20 laps and notched his second victory in three races.

Hansen led for five laps before giving way to Rick Atkins of Fullerton on Lap 9, but regained the lead on Lap 13 when Atkins almost spun out through the first turn.

Jeff Gregory of Elk Grove took the three-quarter semi-main in 1:53.91.

Jay Drake of Val Verde won the first midget heat in 1:43.01, Cary Faab of Yorba Linda took the second heat with a 1:45.25 clocking, Tony Stewart of Indianapolis won the third heat in 1:43.35, and Sun Valley’s Walt Johnson won the fourth heat.