surfnsprint

Saturday August 23rd

I’ve been writing a good deal about Danny Faria Jr. and Peter Murphy lately and with good reason. Fourth and final event of the VRA/Bandit Grand Slam rolled through Ventura like a thunderclap last Saturday night. Danny Faria Jr. smoked thirty-nine talent stuffed cars and bagged three thousand fun tickets. Peter Murphy had less luck than a Hummer salesman but still closed the deal on the fourth annual Slam Championship and picked up whatever cash was left lying around. Good guys included Kent Bartels from Leatt Braces who threw another 1K in the kitty. Got to meet classic Pete Curto who always pumps up the Bandit volume. Also had the chance to check out the sponsors behind Peter Murphy’s year of trophies, the hard working Tarlton Racing…..

All Thrill No Fill
Tony Dighera Digs In At Ventura

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Murphy Credits Tarton Crew Chiefs Blaine Steele (left) and Jason Wheelock (right) For His Winning Ways

Kevin Kierce on the pole. Fitting position for the VRA 2008 point’s leader. Brandon Thompson riding shotgun. Danny Faria was tucked into the fourth row with Jonathan Henry. Further back in the eight and ninth row were Grand Slam point leaders Greg Taylor and Peter Murphy, both exiled after spotty heat results and redeemed with checkers in Semi’s 1 and 2. Murphy knows he needs to close within several spots of Taylor for the Championship. Kierce gets off nicely and Brandon is close by. Henry Clark and Clark Templeman slot behind them. It’s immediately obvious Greg Taylor is on the gas. He is three wide battling with Faria and Troy Rutherford. Ten laps have reeled off when Albert Pombo gets turned around in turn three. At the other end of the track, the car in front of him slowing for the yellow checks up Greg Taylor and he is turned around. Pombo gets the hook, Taylor gets the caboose. Green flag and I see Faria take a nasty bump on the berm. It’s knocks him for a couple but he’s right back on it. It’s Kierce, Thomson, Clark, Jonathan Henry, Steve Conrad, Templeman, Faria and Davey Pombo. “Four Wide” Espinoza misses a punt, bikes hard in turn two and is gone. Green again and Kevin has got to hear them coming (before the new mufflers went on he could tell from sound which car was coming up on him) and it’s Henry and Faria.

Jonathan Henry Is A Threat Whenever He Steps On A Track

Faria picks up where Greg Taylor left off and is visibly hammer down. Kierce is on the bottom, Henry is on the top and Faria is splitting the difference. Ferocious shake out between Henry and Faria with Kierce falling to third and Faria dominating the track. Where is Peter Murphy? Hobie Conway has launched from a nasty wheelie in turn three, catapults through the air and lands on top of Peter. It was just that kind of night. Peter knew he had to finish within a few cars of Greg Taylor. He refired in the back and got back on the hunt. Check out Loudpedal. Going into the final laps, it appears most cars are too tight. Even Faria looks too tight, but he just wrestles that green meanie and goes. “It doesn’t matter his car’s too tight, he just drives it down the back on one wheel”, Naylor tells me admiringly, “Now that’s a race car driver!” Flagman agrees and checkers Faria, Henry (will somebody please sponsor this raw talent), Kierce, Clark and Thomson (ditto same as Henry). Taylor finished ninth, Murphy checks in at sixteenth. It’s just barely enough for the Quiet Thunder from Down Under.

Super Skill Danny Faria Jr. and Crew with Leatt’s Kent Bartel (2nd from right)

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Ed Niedzwiecki Gets Back Out Front

I wasn’t able to follow the other classes too well and I can’t provide a play by play. Chuck Lippert aced the Pro Dwarfs; Brian Saxton was wandering around in second. But Saxton leads the points by an avalanche and nothing’s going to change that. Senior Dwarf linchpin Ed Niedzwiecki is back on his groove, on the gas and out front. Kevin Alverson still has the points though. If you’re looking for a point’s battle check out the VRA Junior Midgets. Brennan Rogers is one toothpick and an o-ring ahead of Luke Boles with Cameron Dougan also threatening. Amanda Poertner cleaned everybody’s clock this weekend though. In the mini dwarfs, Piston driver Cameron McCauley got to the flag the fastest. We sure missed Cole Wakim in the lineup! In the Supercharger division, Devon McCree and Ripping Ricky Lewis are continuing their epic battle. But it was Tommy Velasquez clinching first this week. This is the chase you want to chase. These are talented kids at the beginning of their careers.

Chuck Lippert With All That Is Precious

Amanda Poertner Tops the Junior Midgets

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A couple of obvious observations I would like to make. First, thanks to Jim, Cliff, Pete and the other tracks for building the sprint car Ponderosa in front of their appreciative fans. I am most struck by the depth of talent in the Bandit line up. Murphy, Faria, Hamblin, Porte, VanderWeerds, Carlile, the Pombos and many others are torching the California landscape. It was also clear the hardship both racing association drivers are enduring to take it on the road. Only through committed sponsors like Tarlton are gifted drivers like Murphy able to bring their game to your town. But they can’t do it all. Other talents like Thomson, Henry and Woodward need a hand. Reach out and support local racing.

The Quiet Thunder From Down Under