Hansen Benefits in Midget Race Marred by Numerous Crashes

For the second consecutive week at Ventura Raceway, a Three Quarter Midget race was shortened due to a series of crashes.

United States Auto Club Western States TQ points leader Scott Hansen of Simi Valley was the beneficiary of the decision by track officials to call the race after 26 laps on Saturday night.

The victory was the third of the season for Hansen, who held a 69-point lead over Marc Hart of Ventura coming into the race.

“We haven’t been spectacular,” Hansen said. “We’ve just been finishing.”

Although there were no caution periods, the race was stopped three times due to accidents.

Since the track has an 11 p.m. curfew, and three races remained on the program at the time of the third crash, General Manager Cliff Morgan made the call to stop the race.

Rookie Bryan Stanfill of Bakersfield flipped on the 20th lap while running fourth, immediately after Hansen grabbed the lead from Ricky Shelton of Huntington Beach.

Although Stanfill--who earned his first victory in last week’s shortened feature--remained in the car for five minutes, he walked to the track ambulance and did not require a trip to the hospital.

Since the lap had not been completed, the lead reverted back to Shelton.

After the restart, Hansen needed just four laps to overtake Shelton with a pass in the backstretch.

Hansen put three car lengths on Shelton in one lap, a pace that he continued for two laps before Shelton and fast qualifier Alex Harris of Simi Valley forced the second stoppage when the two cars flipped in Turn 1 while dueling for second place.

Both drivers walked away unhurt, but West Evans of Moorpark flipped in the same spot after the restart.