Rally Lifts Sills to Ventura Win

Jimmy Sills came from 13th position to win the U.S. Auto Club’s Western States Series 30-lap Midget main event at Ventura Raceway before 2,538 on Saturday night.

Sills, 38, from Placerville, Calif., overtook Robbie Flock of Temecula, who had led the first 25 laps, when Flock hit a rut in Turn 2. Sills has won three main events at Ventura in six starts televised by ESPN.

Sleepy Tripp of Costa Mesa finished second with Joe Gaerte of Rochester, Ind., third and Ron Shuman of Tempe, Ariz., fourth.

Midget 10-lap heat-race winners were George Ito of Oxnard, Tripp, Sills and Stevie Reeves of Indianapolis.

Gaerte qualified for the main event by winning the 12-lap semi-main. Also transferring were Wally Pankratz of Orange, Doug Kalitta of Ypsilanti, Mich., and Shuman.

Heat winners in the eight-lap three-quarter Midget races were Marc Hart of Ventura, Steve Alexander of Torrance, Kenny White of Ventura and Wiley Miller of Fullerton.