ANDREOTTI & MONTGOMERY SCORE BIG AT VENTURA “WAGSDASH REUNION”

By Lance Jennings

VENTURA, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 18, 2023… Leading all-30 laps, Jake Andreotti of Castro Valley, California topped Saturday’s USAC West Coast Sprint Car feature at Ventura Raceway. In doing so, the pilot of the May Motorsports’ #8M RDM Mechanics / Keen Concrete Maxim became the 63rd winning driver in series history. Fast Qualifier Troy Rutherford, defending champion Trent Carter, Kyle Edwards, and point leader Ryan Timmons rounded out the top-five at the “Wagsdash Reunion in Honor of Mrs. Wags.”

After the “Sammy Bahr and Ray Stansberry Main Event,” the top-six drivers raced in a special 12-lap “Mrs. Wagsdash” for cash with a full inversion. As track conditions were changing, Templeton, California’s Kaleb Montgomery emerged victorious and earned at least an extra $2,500. Led by Ken “Wags” Wagner and the “Wagtimers,” the fan friendly event paid extra bonus money and honored his late wife Terry. More information and details will follow in a future press release.

Before winning the feature, Jake Andreotti qualified ninth overall and ran second to Trent Carter in his heat race. Starting on the outside of the front row, Andreotti grabbed the early lead and set a torrid pace on the Ventura oval. The ten-time micro-sprint champion was stalked by the sixth starting Rutherford, who had closed within striking distance. As the laps counted down, slower traffic would become a factor and contact with another car almost cost Andreotti the lead. Jake recovered in time and took the checkered flags.

Racing the family owned #3 David Crye / ABI Engineering Maxim, Kaleb Montgomery won the “Mrs. Wagsdash” after starting on the pole position. In his first start of the year, Kaleb opened his night by qualifying second fast, won the 10-lap Brown & Miller Racing Solutions Second Heat Race, and placed sixth in the 30-lap feature.

New Cuyama, California’s Elexa Herrera opened the night by winning the “Lucky Pill Draw” presented by High Tech Performance and earned ten gallons of fuel. Driving the family owned #5J Cuyama Buckhorn / 3H Cattle Company Ellis, Herrera was thirty-first fast in time trials, ran eighth in her heat race, and scored thirteenth in the semi-main.

Former Ventura champion and current track record holder Troy Rutherford of Ojai, California earned his ninth career Woodland Auto Display Fast Time Award. Now ranked seventh overall, the owner/driver of the #11 Trench Shoring / Woodland Auto Display Spike posted a time of 12.233 seconds over an impressive 31-car roster. The veteran driver won the 10-lap Extreme Mufflers Heat Race #1, ran second to Andreotti in the feature, and placed fourth in the Mrs. Wagsdash.

Trent Carter of Terra Bella, California claimed the 10-lap Competition Suspension Incorporated Third Heat Race. Driving the family owned #13SS Porterville Lock and Safe / 360 Performance Automotive Maxim, Carter was twelfth fast in time trials, finished third in the main event from seventh, and scored sixth in the “Mrs. Wagsdash.”

Pleasant Hill, California’s Ryan Timmons won the 12-lap Rod End Supply Semi-Main. Piloting the family owned #29T Red Line Oil / Evergood Fine Foods Maxim, the point leader qualified third overall, placed fifth in his heat race and took second in the “Mrs. Wagsdash.”

Ron LaPlant of Oroville, California earned the night’s BR Motorsports / Rod End Supply Hard Charger Award with a ninth place run from eighteenth. The owner / driver of the #69 RJL Truck and Tractor Painting / Feather Falls Casino Eagle was twentieth quick in time trials, placed fifth in his heat race, scored third in the semi, and earned the night’s $100 “Longest Tow Award,” donated by USAC official Cody Jameson.

Making his first start of the year, San Diego, California’s A.J. Bender claimed the Wilwood Disc Brakes “Lucky 13 Award” after finishing thirteenth in the main event. Driving the Kruseman Motorsports’ #21K Lucas Oil / Cory Kruseman’s Sprint Car & Midget Driving School entry, Bender was fourteenth quick in time trials and scored third in his heat race.

The non-winged 360 sprint cars are scheduled to return to action on Saturday, July 29th at Santa Maria Raceway.  

The USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series thanks BR Motorsports, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Competition Suspension Incorporated, Extreme Mufflers, High Tech Performance, Hoosier Racing Tires, Rod End Supply, Saldana Racing Products, Steve Lafond / Tear-Off Heaven Fotos, Wagtimers, Wilwood Disc Brakes, and Woodland Auto Display for their support. 

For more information on the USAC West Coast Sprint Car Series, visit usacracing.com and the social media for USAC Racing. You can also find exclusive content on the USAC West Coast Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR SERIES RACE RESULTS: June 17, 2023 – Ventura Raceway - Ventura, California – “Wagsdash Reunion in Honor of Mrs. Wags”

WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY QUALIFICATONS: 1. Troy Rutherford, 11, Rutherford-12.233; 2. Kaleb Montgomery, 3, Montgomery-12.359; 3. Ryan Timmons, 29T, Timmons-12.361; 4. Brody Fuson, 51, Van Meter-12.378; 5. Logan Calderwood, 6, Calderwood-12.404; 6. Kyle Edwards, 39, Edwards-12.483; 7. Cody Majors, 54, Majors-12.538; 8. David Gasper, 18, Gasper/Kittle-12.600; 9. Jake Andreotti, 8M, May-12.639; 10. Grant Sexton, 22X, Sexton-12.734; 11. Adam Christian, 12, Christian-12.741; 12. Trent Carter, 13SS, Carter-12.757; 13. Steve Hix, 57, Hix-12.822; 14. A.J. Bender, 21K, Kruseman-12.839; 15. Verne Sweeney, 98, Guerrero-12.873; 16. Cole Wakim, 9, Wakim-12.954; 17. Bryan Whitley, 22, Whitley-12.974; 18. Chris Ennis, 86, Ennis-13.008; 19. Tyler Hatzikian, 27, Hatzikian-13.047; 20. Ron LaPlant, 69, LaPlant-13.095; 21. Chris Wakim, 9W, Wakim-13.175; 22. Bruce Douglass, 13, Davis-13.207; 23. Tom Dunkel, 17A, Dunkel-13.284; 24. Tom Hendricks, 14, Hendricks-13.297; 25. Hannah Mayhew, 43, Mayhew-13.306; 26. Jon DeWees, 63D, DeWees-13.476; 27. Malyssa Perkins, 73M, Perkins-13.600; 28. Camie Bell, 29C, Bell-13.664; 29. Joey Bishop, 45, Bishop-13.753; 30. Tony Everhart, 55, Everhart-13.900; 31. Elexa Herrera, 5J, Herrera-14.003.

EXTREME MUFFLERS FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Rutherford, 2. Fuson, 3. Sexton, 4. Douglass, 5. Co.Wakim, 6. Hix, 7. Hatzikian, 8. Herrera, 9. Bell, 10. Mayhew, 11. Majors. NT.

BROWN & MILLER RACING SOLUTIONS SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Montgomery, 2. Whitley, 3. Bender, 4. Calderwood, 5. LaPlant, 6. DeWees, 7. Dunkel, 8. Christian, 9. Bishop, 10. Gasper. NT.

COMPETITION SUSPENSION INCORPORATED THIRD HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Carter, 2. Andreotti, 3. Sweeney, 4. Ennis, 5. Timmons, 6. Edwards, 7. Hendricks, 8. Ch.Wakim, 9. Perkins, 10. Everhart. NT.

ROD END SUPPLY SEMI: (12 laps) 1. Timmons, 2. Majors, 3. LaPlant, 4. Hix, 5. Edwards, 6. Dunkel, 7. Hatzikian, 8. Co.Wakim, 9. Ch.Wakim, 10. Hendricks, 11. Bell, 12. Mayhew, 13. Herrera, 14. DeWees, 15. Christian, 16. Bishop, 17. Perkins, 18. Everhart. NT.

MRS. WAGSDASH: (12 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. Kaleb Montgomery (1), 2. Ryan Timmons (2), 3. Kyle Edwards (3), 4. Troy Rutherford (5), 5. Jake Andreotti (6), 6. Trent Carter (4). NT.

SAMMY BAHR & RAY STANSBERRY FEATURE: (30 laps, With Starting Positions) 1. Jake Andreotti (2), 2. Troy Rutherford (6), 3. Trent Carter (7), 4. Kyle Edwards (9), 5. Ryan Timmons (8), 6. Kaleb Montgomery (5), 7. Steve Hix (11), 8. Cody Majors (10), 9. Ron LaPlant (18), 10. Verne Sweeney (13), 11. Bryan Whitley (15), 12. Brody Fuson (4), 13. A.J. Bender (12), 14. Bruce Douglass (20), 15. Tom Hendricks (22), 16. Logan Calderwood (3), 17. Tyler Hatzikian (17), 18. Chris Wakim (19), 19. Tom Dunkel (21), 20. Cole Wakim (14), 21. Grant Sexton (1), 22. Chris Ennis (16). NT,

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**Ennis flipped on lap 1 of the feature.

FEATURE LAP LEADERS: Laps 1-30 Andreotti.

BR MOTORSPORTS / ROD END SUPPLY HARD CHARGER:  Ron LaPlant (18th to 9th)

WILWOOD DISC BRAKES LUCKY 13 AWARD:  A.J. Bender

LONGEST TOW AWARD: Ron LaPlant

HIGH TECH PERFORMANCE LUCKY PILL DRAW AWARD: Elexa Herrera

NEW USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR POINTS: 1-Ryan Timmons-299, 2-Ron LaPlant-247, 3-Kyle Edwards-241, 4-Brody Fuson-212, 5-Tyler Hatzikian-205, 6-Cody Majors-197, 7-Trent Carter-182, 8-David Gasper-179, --Tom Hendricks-179, 10-Chris Ennis-163.

NEW WOODLAND AUTO DISPLAY TOP QUALIFIER POINTS: 1-Ryan Timmons-18, 2-David Gasper-12, --Troy Rutherford-12, 4-Brody Fuson-11, 5-Kyle Edwards-10, 6-Cody Majors-9, 7-Kaleb Montgomery-5, 8-Ron LaPlant-3, 9-Logan Calderwood-2, 10-Tyler Hatzikian-1, --Chris Ennis-1.

NEW SAMMY BAHR & RAY STANSBERRY FEATURE POINTS: 1-Ryan Timmons-256, 2-Ron LaPlant-226, 3-Kyle Edwards-209, 4-Tyler Hatzikian-188, 5-Brody Fuson-171, 6-Cody Majors-168, 7-Trent Carter-166, 8-Tom Hendricks-165, 9-Chris Ennis-145, 10-David Gasper-138.

NEW PASSING MASTER POINTS: 1-Ron LaPlant-21, 2-Tom Hendricks-19, 3-Jon DeWees-18, 4-Adam Christian-12, 5-Elexa Herrera-11, --Ryan Timmons-11, 7-Hannah Mayhew-10, --Trent Carter-10, 9-Heath Holdsclaw-8, 10-Brody Fuson-7.

NEXT USAC WEST COAST SPRINT CAR RACE: July 29 – Santa Maria Raceway – Santa Maria, California