AUTO RACING

Halfway through Saturday night’s 30-lap United States Auto Club Western States midget feature at Ventura Raceway, Tony Elliot noticed a problem with his race car.

It had no brakes.

Elliot, of Kokomo, Ind., didn’t let the problem slow him, however. He passed Simi Valley’s Rick Hendrix coming out of Turn 4 on the 28th lap and held on for the victory in front of a crowd of 2,011.

“I could have been quicker if I had (brakes),” Elliot said. “I was really having to be careful in the corners, turning real hard to get it slowed down. The car just worked perfectly.”

As for Hendrix, the 1993 Western States three-quarter midget champ is still looking for his first victory, with five second-place finishes since moving up midway through the 1993 season.