Tommy Dunkel Returns to the Ventura Raceway Saturday Night

Tommy Dunkel and his all-star pit crew will return to Jim Naylor’s Ventura Raceway this Saturday night for another round of action in the Ventura Racing Association. It will be Dunkel’s fourth race of the year on the 1/5 mile oval located on the beach at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

Dunkel, who lives in Menifee, California hauled his white Inland Rigging #17A to Ventura for the first time in 2023 on April 8th. He surprised everyone by dominating the action leading every lap in both his heat and the main event. He returned on May 13th with the USAC/West Coast Sprint Car Series. On that occasion, he qualified 13th fastest and once again led his heat race wire to wire. He started seventh in the main and was running ninth, but on the first lap after a late race yellow, he got “monster trucked” from behind. He had to restart at the back and came all the way forward to 11th before time ran out.

The last time he was at Ventura was the June 24th USAC West Coast Series event. He began the main 21st and by the midway point in the race he had charged all the way up to 11th. He was poised to take 10th when a yellow flag came out and he tangled with another car in turn one. He got the car back to the work area and the crew jumped all over it and sent him out before racing resumed. Restarting in 21st, he moved forward two spots before the race concluded.

At that last race in Ventura, Dunkel’s crew was comprised of the current USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series point leader Brody Roa, Roa’s crew chief Zac Bozanich and the rest of the #17R helpers. Having them paying full attention to his car was a tremendous help and he learned a ton. The good news is that it will be the same arrangement this Saturday.

A week from Saturday will be another big step in Dunkel’s sprint car racing career. For the first time he will be competing with Roa and the remainder of the USAC/CRA Series stars at Perris Auto Speedway. While he has raced against them at Arizona’s Mohave Valley Raceway and the Bakersfield Speedway, it will be his first time battling with them on a bigger, faster track.

Spectator gates will open at 3:00 p.m. and the first race will be at 5:30 on Saturday at Ventura. Adult tickets are $18.00. Seniors 60 and over, military members, and students with ID get in for $15.00. Children 12 and under are free when they are accompanied by a paid adult. The track is located on the Ventura County Fairgrounds at 10 W. Harbor Boulevard (93001). The website is http://venturaraceway.com/ and the office phone number is (805) 648-RACE.

Fans can pick up a 2023 Inland Riggings Racing Team shirt from the crew after the races or online at The brand new Roa/Dunkel Inland Rigging team merchandise, including shirts, is now available. You can see the shirt design in the photo below. The shirts will be available in the pits or online at the following link https://bit.ly/3IDLNEZ.

As always, Roa would be more than happy to jump in a race car on his weekends off from the #17R. His entire schedule is printed below. If anybody wishes to contact him about open dates, they can do so at 714-932-7994 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The team wants to thank the following sponsors for making the 2023 season possible. Inland Rigging, Dunkel Farms, United Asset Sales, Osborne Speed & Machine, Sander Engineering, “Biker” Bruce Fischer, ALR Virtual Services, Burris Racing, Caltrol, Competition Suspension, K-1 Race Gear, Molecule, Rod End Supply, Driven Racing Oil, Baldwin Filters, and NGK Spark Plugs.

BRP PR