AUTO RACING

In a prelude to Saturday night’s Sprint Car Racing Assn. feature race at Ventura Raceway, 47-year-old Ray Stansberry of Bakersfield found that the best way to win a California Dwarf Car Racing Assn. 20-lap main event is to start on the pole, hold on to the lead and avoid slower cars.

Especially when they crash.

The dwarf cars literally put on a destruction derby as the caution flag flew seven times due to collisions.

Steve Leffler of Glendora spun out in the first turn on the start, sparking a five-car collision and forcing a restart.

Larry Abrams of Norco ran into the wall coming off a corner on the second lap to force the second caution, and two more collisions occurred as officials attempted to restart the race.

The start of the featured Sprint Car Racing Assn. 30-lap main event was delayed until after 10:30 by the accidents.

J.J. Yeley of Phoenix, rookie of the year last season who was fourth in the points coming into the race, crashed twice.

Yeley, 18, hit the wall during a 10-lap heat race, but repaired the car in time for the first of two 12-lap semi-mains.

The bad luck struck again, however, as Yeley flipped his car on the first lap of the race.