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UNDERWOOD TAKES VENTURA RACEWAY REAR WHEEL TITLE
by Lee Elder
VENTURA, Calif. (Oct. 17, 2009) – Camarillo’s Brent Underwood won a stirring race with Cody Greiman to grab victory in the Sport Compact Rear Wheel Drive feature race and, with it, captured the category’s 2009 championship.
“A win in itself is an accomplishment, but to win a championship is in a league of its own,” Underwood said. “I don’t know what to say.”
Underwood’s win Saturday was his eighth of the season.
The other feature winners at Ventura included Santa Paula’s Mike Frazier (Sport Compact Front Wheel Drive), Yorba Linda’s Matt Mitchell (Sprint Cars), Ken Ito of Ventura (Karts), Garrett Hansen of Manhattan Beach (USAC Midgets), Cody Swanson of Norco (Ford Focus Midgets) and Dennis Simunovich of Hollister (USAC Junior Focus Midgets).
Reseda’s Kevin Kierce did not clinch the Sprint Car title, though he edged closer to the crown. Kierce did not transfer into the main event. Troy Rutherford, the Ojai flash, is second in the standings and he finished sixth in Saturday’s race. Kierce continues to hold a commanding lead in the points.
Underwood started the feature on the same row with Greiman, who also lives in Camarillo. The pair traded the lead several times during their race before Underwood pulled ahead for good near the end of the race.
“It was fast,” Underwood said. “We were moving. I just kept hitting those ruts. My car would go flying up in the air. Then I’d see his car going flying up in the air. It was anybody’s race.”
In the end, the race and the title went to Underwood.
More information on Ventura Raceway is available at www.venturaraceway.com.
Ventura Raceway Race Results
VRA Sprint Cars -- 1. Matt Mitchell, Yorba Linda, 20 Laps; 2. Greg Taylor, Ventura, 20 Laps; 3. Brent Camarillo, Camarillo, 20 Laps; 4. Steve Conrad, Quartz Hill, 20 Laps; 5. Chris Ennis, Bakersfield, 20 Laps; 6. Troy Rutherford, Ojai, 20 Laps; 7. Cody Kershaw, Oak Park, 20 Laps; 8. Rick Hendrix, Palmdale, 20 Laps; 9. Danny Sheridan, Santa Maria, 20 Laps; 10. Blake Miller, Yorba Linda, 20 Laps; 11. Brian Camarillo, Camarillo, 20 Laps; 12. Gene Godepski, Reseda, 20 Laps; 13. Jimmy Crawford, Ventura, 19 Laps; 14. Chris Wakim, Simi Valley, 19 Laps; 15. John Nock, Newhall, 19 Laps; 16. Bruce Douglass, Ventura, 19 Laps; 17. Danny Faria Jr, Tipton, 14 Laps; 18. Brandon Thomson, Ventura, 10 Laps; 19. Dakota Kershaw, Agoura, 9 Laps; 20. Greg Alexander, Gardena, 8 Laps; 21. Luis Espinoza, Castaic, 4 Laps; 22. Clark Templeman III, Santa Clarita, 1 Lap; 23. Cory Kruseman, Ventura, 0 Laps.
Lap Leaders: Matt Mitchell (1-20).
Top 10 in points: 1. Kevin Kierce, 4750; 2. Troy Rutherford, 4275; 3. Brian Camarillo, 3610; 4. Chris Wakim, 3490; 5. Steve Conrad, 3460; 6. Cody Kershaw, 3245; 7. Rick Hendrix, 3180; 8. John Nock, 3050; 9. Brandon Thomson, 2960; 10. Tyler Edwards, 2845.
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USAC Midgets -- 1. Garrett Hansen, Manhattan Beach, 25 Laps; 2. Brad Loyet, Sunset Hills, MO, 25 Laps; 3. Jerome Rodella, El Monte, 25 Laps; 4. Shannon McQueen, Bakersfield, 25 Laps; 5. Matt Mitchell, Yorba Linda, 25 Laps; 6. R.J. Johnson, Phoenix, AZ, 25 Laps; 7. Alex Schutte, Redding, 25 Laps; 8. Cory Kruseman, Ventura, 25 Laps; 9. Cody Kershaw, Oak Park, 25 Laps; 10. Jake Swanson, Anaheim, 25 Laps; 11. Brian Camarillo, Camarillo, 25 Laps; 12. Randi Pankratz, Atascadero, 25 Laps; 13. Bruce Douglass, Ventura, 25 Laps; 14. Jeff Slinkard, Tempe, AZ, 25 Laps; 15. Wally Pankratz, Orange, 24 Laps; 16. Chris Gansen, San Bernardino, 24 Laps; 17. Blake Miller, Yorba Linda, 11 Laps; 18. Dennis Howell, Rencho Palos Verdes, 8 Laps; 19. Rick Hendrix, Palmdale, 7 Laps; 20. Mike Gehringer, Pismo Beach, 5 Laps; 21. Alex Bowman, Tuscan, 4 Laps.
Lap Leaders: Garrett Hansen (1-25).
Ventura Raceway does not calculate points for this class
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Ford Focus Midgets -- 1. Cody Swanson, Norco, 20 Laps; 2. Jake Swanson, Anaheim, 20 Laps; 3. Andrew Mulhearn, Whittier, 20 Laps; 4. Gordon Edwards, Fountain Valley, 20 Laps; 5. Brody Roa, Buena Park, 20 Laps; 6. Nick Rossi, Glendale, AZ, 20 Laps; 7. Zack Stout, Vista, 20 Laps; 8. Kevin Michnowicz, Torrance, 20 Laps; 9. Jet Davison, Running Springs, 20 Laps; 10. Connor Kassik, Lake Havasu City, 20 Laps
Lap Leaders: Cody Swanson (1-20).
Ventura Raceway does not calculate points for this class
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VRA Sport Compact (Rear Wheel) -- 1. Brent Underwood, Camarillo, 20 Laps; 2. Cody Greiman, Camarillo, 20 Laps; 3. Trevor Fitzgibbon, Camarillo, 20 Laps; 4. Brad Long, Burbank, 19 Laps; 5. Bill Changus, Fillmore, 19 Laps; 6. Brandon Reta, Ventura, 18 Laps; 7. Zachary Peterson, Oxnard, 18 Laps; 8. Michaela Stanton, Camarillo, 18 Laps; 9. Jason Marshall, Ventura, 15 Laps; 10. Ryan Changus, Port Hueneme, 1 Lap.
Top 10 in points: 1. Brent Underwood, 3030; 2. Cody Greiman, 2665; 3. Brandon Reta, 2375; 4. Brad Long, 2365; 5. Jason Marshall, 2335; 6. Ryan Changus, 2125; 7. Bill Changus, 2075; 8. Trevor Fitzgibbon, 1590; 9. Corey McKinney, 1365; 10. April Banvelos, 1120.
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VRA Sport Compact (Front Wheel) -- 1. Mike Frazier, Santa Paula, 20 Laps; 2. Joel Chavez, Santa Paula, 20 Laps; 3. Jess Carlucci, Camarillo, 20 Laps; 4. Eric Lopez, Ventura, 20 Laps; 5. Darren Gunnell, Santa Paula, 20 Laps; 6. Joel Chavez Jr., Santa Paula, 14 Laps; 7. John Butcher, Santa Barbara, 13 Laps; 8. Roger Sutton, Camarillo, Did not show.
Lap Leaders: Joel Chavez Jr. (1-6), Darren Gunnell (7-15), Mike Frazier (16-20).
Top 10 in points: 1. Darren Gunnell, 2695; 2. Jess Carlucci, 2555; 3. Joel Chavez Jr., 2520; 4. John Butcher, 2340; 5. James Brown, 1635; 6. Joel Chavez, 1145; 7. Mike Frazier, 715; 8. Joanna Brown, 590; 8. Roger Sutton, 590; 10. Randal Dougan, 435.
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USAC Junior Focus Midgets -- 1. Dennis Simunovich, Hollister, 20 Laps; 2. Casey Martinez, Riverside, 20 Laps; 3. Ethan Quinn, Santa Clarita, 20 Laps; 4. Nick Drake, Charlette, NC, 20 Laps; 5. Alex Jacobsen, San Jose, 20 Laps; 6. Kyle Edwards, Fountain Valley, 20 Laps; 7. Daniel Voyles, Temecula, 20 Laps; 8. Jarid Blondel, Orange, 20 Laps; 9. Chasen Gaunt, Torrance, 20 Laps; 10. Daniel Williams, Glendale, 19 Laps; 11. Andrew Murray, Temecula, 0 Laps; 12. Tanner Kershaw, Oak Park, Did not show.
Lap Leaders: Dennis Simunovich (1-20).
Top 10 in points: 1. Kyle Edwards, 618; 2. Ethan Quinn, 611; 3. Alex Jacobsen, 586; 4. Dennis Simunovich, 570; 5. Andrew Murray, 477; 6. Casey Martinez, 457; 7. Tanner Kershaw, 426; 8. Jarid Blondel, 332; 9. Taylor Ferns, 294; 10. Mavrick Gaunt, 230.
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Go-Karts -- 1. Ken Ito, Ventura, 20 Laps; 2. Robert DelGaudio, Moorpark, 20 Laps; 3. David Pankratz, Canyon Country, 20 Laps; 4. Kyle Park, 20 Laps; 5. Jimmy May, Ventura, 20 Laps; 6. Collin Henry, Ventura, 20 Laps; 7. Jake Rolls, Ventura, 20 Laps; 8. Adam Weisberg, Newhall, 20 Laps; 9. Cody Nigh, Camarillo, 12 Laps; 10. George Ito, Ventura, 9 Laps; 11. Tyler Stover, Manhattan Beach, 1 Lap; 12. Tayler Haley, Ventura, Did not start; 13. Dakota Kershaw, Agoura, Did not show; 14. John Wright, Ventura, Did not show; 15. Kalvin Douglass, Ventura, Did not show; 16. Charlie Butcher, Santa Barbara, Did not show.
Lap Leaders: Ken Ito (1-20).
Top 10 in points: 1. David Pankratz, 1635; 2. Cody Nigh, 1165; 3. Adam Weisberg, 1100; 4. Chriss Gibb, 940; 5. Harlan Willis, 930; 6. Max Feyerabend, 895; 7. Aron Cranford, 795; 8. Richard Renken, 775; 9. Cory Kruseman, 670; 10. Scott Bohle, 645.
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