by Stephanie Odom on March 3, 2011

Troy Rutherford aboard his #11 Trench Shoring / State Ready Mix VRA Sprint Car. Rutherford won the 2010 title and will be in action this weekend. (Photo by surfnsprint.com)

Ojai’s Troy Rutherford was crowned the King of the VRA Sprints in 2010 at Ventura Raceway. This weekend Rutherford will return and look to defend his title as the series hits “The Best Little Dirt Track in America” for the first time in 2011. Rutherford held off Camarillo’s No. 73 of Josh Ford.  While Ford did not take home the VRA title, he did however win the All Coast Construction 360 Challenge and two feature events. Rutherford ended the season with five feature victories and eighteen top five finishes.

Accompanying the VRA Sprints will be IMCA Modifeds, Dwarf Cars, Mod Lites, Mod Lite Juniors, Junior Midgets and Mini Dwarf Cars. For those that cannot make it to Jim Naylor’s Central California track can tune into Ventura Raceway’s site for a live video feed.

In addition, Ventura Raceway offers a live feed of every event at www.venturaraceway.com/live.html. The live feed is scheduled to begin at 5:00pm PST.

Official Release:

VENTURA SPRINT CAR SEASON OPENER THIS SATURDAY
By Lance Jennings

VENTURA, CA – MARCH 2, 2011… This Saturday, March 5th, Jim Naylor’s Ventura Raceway will host the 2011 season opener for the VRA Sprint Car Series. Joining the powerful Sprint Cars will be the IMCA Modifieds, Dwarf Cars, Mod Lites, Mod Lite Juniors, Junior Midgets, and Mini-Dwarf Cars. The pit gates will open at 12:00pm, the front gates at 3:00pm, and racing at “The Best Little Dirt Track In America” will start at 5:30pm.

Leading the VRA Sprints will be defending champion Troy Rutherford of Ojai. Driving the #11 Trench Shoring / State Ready Mix car, Rutherford had a fantastic year with five feature victories, fifteen heat race wins, and eighteen top-5 finishes. The former SCRA Sprint Car Rookie of the Year will look to make a statement with a feature win.

Camarillo’s Josh Ford finished second in the championship point chase. Piloting the #73 King Racing Products / A&A Precision Machining entry, Ford won the All Coast Construction 360 Challenge title, plus two feature victories, five heat race wins, and fourteen top-5 finishes. Could this be the year that the former USAC National Sprint Car Rookie of the Year wears the crown?

Finishing third in the point standings was Greg Taylor of Ventura. Driving the #7 Taylor Trucking & Crane Service / Four Paws Pet Grooming car, Taylor had four feature victories, eight heat race wins, and ten top-5 finishes. This Saturday night, the 2007 series champion will begin his quest for another title.

Rick Hendrix of Palmdale claimed fourth in the title hunt. Piloting the 15 Rick’s Gate Works Inc. / Wilwood Disc Brakes machine, Hendrix scored one feature victory, seven heat race wins, and six top-5 finishes. The former USAC Western Midget champion will be among the favorites this Saturday night.

Camarillo’s Brian Camarillo scored fifth in the championship point chase. Driving the #22 Agromin Soil / Waste Management entry, Camarillo won ten heat races and had nine top-5 finishes on the season. This Saturday night, Brian will be looking for a main event win.

Among the other top contenders expected to be in action are Steve Conrad of Quartz Hill, Rialto’s Don Gansen, Camarillo’s Brent Camarillo, Buena Park’s Brody Roa, Justin Kierce of Reseda, Norwalk’s Brandon Thomson, Jimmy Crawford of Newbury Park, and many more.

Ventura Raceway is located on the Ventura County Fairgrounds at 10 West Harbor Blvd. in Ventura, California. Adult tickets are $14, Senior, Military, and Student tickets (ID Required) are $11, while Children’s tickets (12 and under) are FREE.

To catch all of the action of the VRA Sprint Car Series and Ventura Raceway, Mike Truex’s Loudpedal Productions has DVD videos available for purchase. For more information, call (805) 407-7229 or visit www.loudpedalvideo.com.

http://www.onedirt.com/news/ventura-sprint-car-season-opener-this-saturday/