VENTURA RACEWAY : Shuman Streak Hits Dead End

Ron Shuman’s four-race Sprint Car Racing Assn. winning streak came to an end Saturday night at Ventura Raceway.

The Tempe native qualified in a track-record 11.527 seconds, eclipsing Ron Dinotato’s 11.750 mark established July 30, started fifth and worked his way through the pack in the 30-lap feature, but was held off in the end by Yorba Linda’s Rip Williams.

Williams, who started fourth, grabbed the lead from Torrance’s Rickey Gaunt with an outside pass coming out of Turn 2 on Lap 14.

Shuman worked his way through the pack, sling-shotting past the other cars on every pass.

A flip by Torrance’s Mike English on Lap 19 caused a 10-minute delay, and Lakewood’s Steve Ostling brought the race to a second halt on Lap 22 when he flipped his car in Turn 4.

With two laps remaining, Shuman lost traction in Turn 2, allowing Williams to pull away by two car lengths and grab the victory, his seventh of the season.

Ventura’s Cory Kruseman defeated Shuman and Williams to win the three-lap trophy dash, and Hollywood’s Bruce Dorn won the 20-lap California Dwarf Car Racing Assn. main event.