Jewett and Webster Coast to Ventura Championships

VENTURA — A funny thing happens to race car drivers when a championship is on the line.

They slow down.

That was the case Saturday night at Ventura Raceway when Tracy Jewett of Sherman Oaks and Richard Webster of Camarillo clinched track championships just by finishing.

Webster finished second to Jim Tietz of Camarillo in the 20-lap Mini Stock feature to take his second consecutive championship, and Jewett finished third in the 20-lap Pony Stock main event behind victorious Tina Verdun of Ventura and her brother, Jim Jewett Jr. of Ventura.

Coming into the competition, Webster held a 40-point advantage over Ernie Malone of Casitas Springs, while Tracy Jewett was 65 points ahead of Jim Jewett.

Malone started seventh, with Webster eighth, and it looked like it might be an anticlimactic finish when the pair collided with Forrest Lucas of Riverside on the third lap, sending Malone to the pits with a flat tire.

Malone did not lose any ground because the caution flag had come out following the incident, and the two contenders jockeyed for position over the next 13 laps until Malone flipped his car in a corner after a tire blew out.

“I was just trying to finish in front of Richard,” Malone said.

Street Stock champion Greg Voigt of Goleta earned his eighth victory in the 20-lap main event.

Defending national champion Scott Pounds of Bakersfield captured the 20-lap Modified feature.