Simi Valley’s Hansen Goes Extra Mile to Win Three-Quarter Midget Title

VENTURA — Scott Hansen of Simi Valley did not need to do much more than show up at Ventura Raceway on Saturday night to clinch the United States Auto Club Western States Three-Quarter Midget championship.

A finish of 17th or better in a field of 20 in the 20-lap main event was all Hansen, 32, needed to nail down the championship.

Hansen did not mail it in, however, starting fifth and finishing second to another Simi Valley resident, Alex Harris.

Harris, who qualified fastest at 13.058 seconds, only .01 seconds off the track record, helped his chances in his battle for rookie-of-the-year honors with Ricky Shelton of Huntington Beach.

The race was uneventful until the final lap, which was marred by accidents.

Hansen had a shot at Harris--who had grabbed the lead on the ninth lap--on the final restart.

“I was thinking I had a shot at [a victory],” Hansen said, “but I screwed up on the restart and let him get a little ahead of me.”

Hansen started his evening with a victory in an eight-lap heat race.

In the 30-lap Midget main, Hank Butcher, 51, of San Leandro held off 1994 champion John Cofer of Mac Doel, Calif.

After qualifying fastest at 12.095 seconds, Cofer started sixth in the inverted start, while Butcher started second and took the lead on the 10th lap.