Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128224
Ventura Raceway STORY AND PHOTOS BY JAMEY BLUNT VENTURA, CA, JUNE 28 long the 101 Freeway in California, nestled within the Ventura County Fairgrounds, is a one-fifthmile banked oval that s as nice a racetrack as any in the country. Located some 600 yards from the surf (you can literally hear the waves from the bleachers), this facility normally hosts sprint cars, but once a year for the last 11 years, The Shop, along with track owner Jim Naylor, brings in truckloads of D.G. and ·puts on a motorcycle event. The twist to this year's race, held on a typical California summer day in June, was the addition of a TT track, located in the infield of the oval. By the start of the night's program, 121 entries had been sorted and shuffled into their proper heat races. Dodge Brothers Racing has been absent from the race scene for much of this year, but on this night, Tony Dodge brought out a complete stabe of vintage Indians. Speedway legend "Fast" Eddie Castro piloted a 1937 hand-shift model to double victories. First, in the Dinosaur main, Castro shot to the front, ahead of Paso Rob- A les fast guys Danny Ritchie and Paul Herman. The first trip through turn three saw Herman make a move on Ritchie; however, Herman rode a high line on the racetrac.k, up in the cushion, and it didn't payoff, as Ritchie hung tough and held on to s condo B lap four, things had sorted out, and Castro was clear at the front, but only by four bjkele· @ths. At the white flag, Ritchie, Iikft a skilled surgeon, was cutting into Castro's lead, but lappers came into play, and Castro prevailed. Always a treat to watch this guy is almost always sideways Herman finished in third, half a straightaway back. Castro's other victory came in ~ . "-"til eel • new track reconI _ ",ute to the wln In the 20-"" Pro ...... _ntatthe 11.. _ _I Outlaw VIntage Short Track and took " - the lion' of the$3000 . the Class C Hand-Shift main, only this time he had to work harder for it, as he started from the second row. "Tie-Dye" Herman, on the Brown's Cycle Harley, took the lead, followed by Ritchie and Castro's teammate (and defending Pro main-event winner from last year) Merle Barnett, on a 1938 Indian. The first trip across the stripe saw Castro in fourth. The first to go was Barnett, between one and two. Then, on lap two, running way up high between turns three and four, never shutting off, Castro rode around the outside of Ritchie and then Herman to lead the start of lap three. Castro put in a 16.01-second lap on his way to the top of the podium. On lap five, Ritchie hit the dirt between turns one Rod Lake made the podium in three classes in Ventura, California, including taking the victory in the Vintage TT class on his Knightframed Yamaha. lAbove) Alex Wood set a new track record at Ventura Raceway - at 15.60 seconds - only to see Harrell break it later the same night by eight hundredths of a second! Wood did, however, win the 500cc-600cc Support main in convincing style in his first race back from an injury. 52 JULY 23,2003' eye I e n e vv s and two, which left Herman and Barnett in second and third, unchallenged. The only rider to make the podium three times on this night was Rod Lake Racing's Rod Lake. One of the smoothest riders you'll ever hope to see, Lake took to the track in the