Strong Finish Gives Pruett His Validation

There’s nothing like a top-10 finish to ease one’s feeling of inadequacy. Scott Pruett, who in a moment of frustration second-guessed his decision to leave the CART series for NASCAR, is feeling better these days.

His 10th-place finish at the Brickyard 400 on Sunday for Orange County owner Cal Wells III’s Winston Cup program was the best finish of his rookie season.

This Sunday’s race at Watkins Glen, N.Y., a road course event, presents him with one of his two best chances of victory. The other, the road course event at Sears Point, Calif., was a race Pruett led before he crashed after being bumped by Jeff Gordon.

Now Pruett feels like he has some momentum.

“I’ve seen that in my 30 years of racing, you try and try and can’t get a result,” said Pruett, 40. “Then, boom, you hit on one, and then two, three, four more races you’re just rocking. From [Indianapolis] we go to Watkins Glen and then to Michigan. From a team standpoint, we should look good for the next few races and the rest of the season.

“Race to race, we continue to adjust our goals.”

The next five races could be telling. Pruett is an accomplished road racer, and he has been good at Michigan, where his team had its previous best finish, 19th, earlier this season.

But the following three races are at Bristol (Tenn.), Darlington (S.C.) and Richmond (Va.). The first time through those tracks, Pruett failed to qualify at Bristol and Darlington, and his 27th-place finish in Richmond on May 6 was his lowest point this season.

He questioned his decision to leave Wells’ Champ car team, where he drove so well that he won the pole position at California Speedway in the season finale. With a fully developed Toyota engine, Cristiano da Matta is driving the car Pruett drove last year and is fourth in the standings.

“After Richmond, it was like, ‘Geez,’ ” Pruett said. “It wasn’t long-lasting, but at the time, it was like, ‘What have I done, what am I doing, and why did I do it?’

“I was working harder than I ever remember, I was running like crap, and when I got out of the car, I was worn out physically and mentally--and I had nothing to show for it except running at the back of the pack.”

Those moments are behind him.

“Everything started coming together for the Tide team at Michigan,” Pruett said. “It may not have seemed that way outwardly, but from a team standpoint and perspective, I felt and the team felt we were headed in the right direction.”

PPI has since hired a new crew chief, Brad Parrott, who has solidified that direction.

“From what I’ve heard, it takes the average team about five years to get its first victory,” Pruett said. “Cal and Tide started their team in October, starting completely from scratch, with a driver who’s never raced Winston Cup and hasn’t been to 85% of the tracks. Take all those things into account, I think what we’re doing is pretty awesome and on the mark, and we’re going to have some great success as we move forward into the second half of the season.”

Still, Wells is demanding.

“From my perspective, Scott should have been fifth at Indy,” Wells said. “He had the drive of the weekend. We cost ourselves 15 spots over three pit stops.

“We did not have a race-winning package, but a damn good package. I’m not disappointed, I just want to keep doing it. I don’t want to be a flash in the pan. That’s my biggest worry.”

Pruett feels the same way after leaving the relative comfort of his open wheel Champ car.

“I miss the pure challenge of driving one of those cars at times,” Pruett said, “but I have my hands full here.”

Coupled with da Matta’s victory a week earlier in Chicago, the first for Wells’ team, Wells said he couldn’t remember the last time he had such a good two-week period. Still, he’s looking for more.

“I’ve got to keep digging, I can’t lift,” Wells said. “I have to remain committed to winning.”

WATER SPORTS

Indy Racing Northern Light Series team owner Dick Simon nearly had a serious accident two weekends ago when he was racing his 38-foot Top Gun Cigarette boat in Benicia, Calif. Simon was at the wheel when he got pinched between a boat and a buoy at 85 mph. The Cigarette tipped completely on its side, ejecting throttle man Sean Stinson of Newport Beach. Simon was flung from one side of the cockpit to the other, and his head even hit the water before the boat righted itself.

Stinson suffered a sprained ankle, bruises and scratches.

* Simon, who owns Dick Simon Marine in Dana Point, is sponsor of the 15th Catalina Ski Race at 8 a.m. Sunday. About 120 boats will pull about 130 skiers from Long Beach Harbor to Avalon Harbor and back. The race ends past the Queen Mary in front of the Westcoast Long Beach Hotel. The race record is 52 minutes 3 seconds, set by Carlo Cassa in 1996. The winner will average about 70 mph.

Simon is supplying four boats for the race. Simon’s racing sponsor, The Mexmil Company of Santa Ana, is sponsoring today’s activities at the Marine Stadium for handicapped children.

There are 21 classes of competition divided by age, sex and boat classifications.

* Saturday at Shoreline Boulevard and Ocean Avenue, another round of the U.S. Off-Shore Championship takes place with the Long Beach-2-Catalina & Back Gran Prix race, which will have more than 150 personal watercraft competing.

Among them are Mike Follmer of Huntington Beach, who is second in the Open Expert standings.

“This is the most grueling race of our season,” Follmer said. “The water is never smooth.”

* Katie Jenkins of La Habra Heights finished third in the Pro Women Runabout at the International Jet Sports Boating Assn. Watercross Nationals in Chicago. It was Jenkins’ fourth third-place finish; she finished second on three occasions during the eight-race season, including the previous two races.

She finished second to Kelly Kurpil of Vero Beach, Fla., in the Pro Runabout season standings.

If you have an item or idea for the motor racing report, you can fax us at (714)966-5663 or e-mail us at ocsports@latimes.com

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ON TRACK

Orange County

Speedway

Through Aug. 6

Speedway motorcycles

1. Charlie Venegas, San Bern.: 414

2. Brad Oxley, San Juan Capistrano: 303

3. Dukie Ermolenko, Cypress: 283

4. Shawn McConnell, Brea: 278

5. Chris Manchester, Upland: 268

6. Bobby Schwartz, Costa Mesa: 265

7. Randy DiFrancesco, Bakersfield: 254

8. Andy Northrup, Alta Loma: 232

9. Eddie Castro, Ojai: 200

10. Jim Estes, Winnetka: 193

Schedule

Saturday----Kids Night (speedway, sidecars, peewee 50s, Jr. speedway); 19--Harley-Davidson Night (speedway, sidecars, Harley races and show); 26--Dan Nay Night (championship speedway, peewee 50s, Jr. speedway).

Sept. 9--Freestyle Motorcycle Jumping (speedway); 16--Skirt Night (speedway, sidecars, peewee 50s, Jr. speedway); 23--North vs. South (speedway, sidecars), 30--Sidecar State Championship (speedway, sidecars).

Oct. 7--Farewell (speedway, sidecars); 14--Coors Light U.S. National Championship (speedway).

Irwindale Speedway

Through Aug. 6

Super Late Model

1. Greg Voigt, Goleta: 590

2. Ben Walker, North Hills: 542

3. Tim Woods, Chino: 494

4. Tommy Fry, Simi Valley: 474

5. David Brandon, Palmdale: 456

6. Shawn Brink, Lancaster: 410

7. Brian Kelley, Arleta: 354

8. James Bruncati, Glendora: 350

9. Rod Johnson, Saugus: 344

10. A.J. DiMarzo, Saugus: 322

Late Model

1. James Weston, Goleta: 626

2. Todd Burns, Riverside: 568

3. Tony Green, Oak Hills : 520

4. Steve Nickolai, Simi Valley: 508

5. David Hessing, Canyon Country: 500

6. Deryk Ward, Palm Springs: 490

7. Richard Hooper, Palmdale: 464

8. Guy Goldstein, Cathedral City: 408

9. Dan DiGiammarino, Highland: 338

10. Nick Conti, Palm Desert: 298

Grand American

1. Rip Michels, Mission Hills: 432

2. Dean Kuhn, Oceanside: 368

3. Robert Rice, Hawthorne: 322

4. John Watkinson, Cyn. Ctry.: 308

5. Tom Topping, Los Angeles: 278

6. Steve Luecht, Chula Vista: 274

6. Jimmy White, Covina: 274

8. Henry Ford Jr., Alta Loma: 270

8. Travis Thirkettle, Newhall: 270

10. Roger Carufel Jr., Saugus: 258

Super Stock

1. Jeff Green, Long Beach: 526

2. T.K. Karvasek, North Hills: 458

3. Mike Price, San Pedro: 432

4. Yagel Berkovitz, Burbank: 422

5. Tom Siebuhr, Canyon Country: 402

6. Kevin Wood, Saugus: 374

7. Greg Benner, Whittier: 340

8. Don Rogers, Simi Valley: 282

9. Doug McComb, Thousand Oaks: 278

10. Henry Miles, Palmdale: 276

Mini Stocks

1. Bob Reed, Riverside: 292

2. Lee Ladd, Thousand Oaks: 270

3. Terry Limberopoulos, Bellflower: 234

4. Rod Bornhop, Orange: 166

5. Randy Colling, Santa Ana: 164

6. Gil Gillis, Simi Valley: 150

6. Fred Adams, Covina: 150

8. Greg Tucker, Ojai: 144

9. Danny Rowe, Lake Elizabeth: 126

9. Pat Ackley, Huntington Beach: 126

Schedule

Saturday--NASCAR Late Models, Super Stocks, Mini Stocks, Spec Trucks, Legends Cars, Figure 8s; 19--NASCAR Home Depot Winston West 250, Late Models; 26--NASCAR Super Late Models, Super Stocks, Grand American Modifieds, T.Q. Midgets, American Race Trucks.

Sept. 2--NASCAR Super Late Models Twin 50s, Super Stocks, Speed Trucks, Mini Stocks; 9--NASCAR Super Late Models, Late Models, Grand American Modifieds, Legends Cars; 16--NASCAR Late Models, Super Stocks, MSRA Pro 4 Modifieds, Mini Stock cars, Figure 8s, American Race Trucks; 23--USAC Midgets, Sprint Cars, CAM 360, T.Q. Midgets; 30--NASCAR Super Late Models 100, Grand American Modifieds, Mini Stocks, Legends Cars.

Oct. 7--NASCAR Southwest Series, Super Stocks, Legends Cars; 14--USAC SILVER CROWN CARS, Sprint Cars, Grand American Modifieds; 21--NASCAR Late Models 75, ARCA Trucks, Super Stocks 50, T.Q. Midgets, Mini Stocks 25, Supermodified; 28--NASCAR Super Late Models 100, USF3 VW FORMULA 3, Speed Trucks, Legends Cars.

Nov. 3--American Race Truck practice, qualifying; 4--American Race Trucks National Finals, Speed Trucks, MSRA Pro 4 Modifieds, Mini Stock cars, Legends Cars; 11--NASCAR Home Depot Winston West 300 season finale, Spec Trucks 100; 18--Speed Trucks 100, MSRA Pro 4 Modifieds, T.Q. Midgets, Legends Cars; 23--60th Annual Home Depot Turkey Night Grand Prix for USAC Midgets, and T.Q. Midgets.

Perris

Auto Speedway

Through Aug. 6

SCRA Sprint Cars

1. Richard Griffin, Silv. Cty., N.M.: 1473

2. Rip Williams, Yorba Linda: 1263

3. Ricky Gaunt, Torrance: 1150

4. Jeremy Sherman, Phoenix: 1100

5. Tony Jones, Corona: 1032

6. Cory Kruseman, Ventura: 1012

7. Steve Ostling, Corona: 985

8. Mike Kirby, Lomita: 975

9. Mike English, Norwalk: 971

10. Troy Rutherford, Ojai: 940

PASSCAR Street Stocks

1. Luke Dodd, Riverside: 252

2. Henry Wesolowski Sr., Tmcla.: 226

3. Ron Warkington, Riverside: 198

4. Tim Shadduck, Hemet: 182

5. Rick Arringdale, Victorville: 175

6. Steve Stewart, Long Beach: 161

7. Rusty Stewart, Lakewood: 160

8. Ken Searcy, Nuevo: 159

9. Eddie Lagor, Nuevo: 156

9. Jeff Dunham, Murrieta: 156

Champ Trucks

1. Todd Cunningham, Corona: 309

2. Dino Napier, Corona: 308

3. David Schuyler, Lompoc: 298

4. Jack Dodd, Riverside: 289

5. Cap Pidgeon, Signal Hill: 259

6. James Gonzalez, Canyon Lake: 241

7. Gary Cecil, Corona: 233

7. Art Peterson, Cathedral City: 233

9. David Jackson, Victorville: 232

10. Mark Anderson, Sky Valley: 221

Schedule

Saturday--Stocks, Bandit Sprints; 19--SCRA Sprints; 26--Trains, TBA.

Sept. 2--Stocks, Trucks, Cruisers; 9--SCRA Sprints; 16--Stocks, Trucks, Dwarfs; 23--SCRA Sprints; 30--SCRA Sprints, Lightning Sprints.

Oct. 7--Stocks, Lightning Sprints; 14--Stocks (Fair); 27--SCRA Sprints, USAC Midgets; 28--SCRA Sprints, USAC Midgets.

Nov. 4--Triple Crown Championship, Stocks, Trucks, Lightning Sprints; 10--Oval Nationals, SCRA Sprints; 11--Oval Nationals, SCRA Sprints; 18--SCRA Kindoll Classic, Sprints, 50 laps.