VENTURA RACEWAY : Bartels Runs Away With Second Street Stock Victory

Bill Bartels of Los Angeles ran away with his second Street Stock 20-lap main event before a small crowd Friday night at Ventura Raceway.

Bartels, who started fourth, took the lead on the fifth lap from Westlake’s Al Adam.

Adam had gotten the jump at the start on pole-sitter Curtis Dietzch of Ventura.

Santa Barbara’s James Weston spent the evening chasing Bartels but could not come up with enough power to make a pass, and when the pair hit lapped traffic with two laps remaining, Bartels was able to put the slower cars between himself and Weston to guarantee the victory.

Defending champion and current points leader Paul Moore finished third.

Bartels also won the first seven-lap heat, while Ventura’s Jason Secor took the second Street Stock heat.

Camarillo’s Richard Webster went wire to wire in the 15-lap Mini Stock main after winning the second of two seven-lap heat races. Points leader Bruce Dunson of Ventura grabbed the first heat, and finished fourth in the Main.

Webster needed only one lap to take command in the heat race, after starting fourth in a five-car field.

The 15-lap Pony Stock Main Event featured five lead changes and an apparent dead-heat finish, as Oxnard’s Trish Remley crossed the finish line in tandem with Don DeAzevedo.

DeAzevedo, who led five laps in the middle of the race as well as the final lap, was set back to fourth place for rough driving, giving Remley the victory.

Tina Verdun and Michael VanDeventer won the two seven-lap heat races.

Ryan Cole of Santa Maria added to his lead in the points standings with a victory in the 15-lap IMCA Modified feature. Bill Lauer, also of Santa Maria, won the eight-lap heat, with Cole finishing fourth.

Gary Howard of Ventura won the 15-lap IMCA Sprint feature by one-quarter lap over his teammate, Daryl Rogers of Palmdale.