Ventura's Greg Taylor was a four-time Ventura Racing Association sprint car driver runner-up until the 2007 season when he celebrated his first championship.

Taylor won five races and added the Bandit-Grand Slam championship to his list of accomplishments.

Taylor plans to race on opening night March 8 and compete in the Bandit series again. He will pick and choose the races he does this season.

Taylor was all smiles Saturday night at the Ventura Racing Association Awards Banquet at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, home of Ventura Raceway.

Taylor, 25, was 16 when he stepped in his first sprint car and followed in dad's footsteps as a sprint car champion at the Ventura dirt track.

"The super excitement got to me," said Taylor of his early days of racing.

This season, he'll be shooting for his 40th career win, the most of any VRA driver.

Taylor said he has grown up as a racer and has the patience to succeed.

One of the 2007 highlights was winning his first sprint car race at Bakersfield Speedway in a Bandit race.

Taylor has sold his No. 7 racer and has a new car on the building blocks.

Taylor credits his parents, Rick and Alecia, for his success. Taylor's girlfriend, Leah Chambers of Ojai, was another key person along with his pit crew.

When his day job with Taylor Trucking and Crane was over, his time was preparing his sprint car for Saturday night races.

Wiley Miller of Yorba Linda earned his fourth senior sprint car championship. Brother Danny had to settle for No. 2.

Jim Porter, the 2000 senior sprint car champion, served as John Richards' set-up man. Richards, 76, who won a main event, was named Most Improved. Richards also credits son Curtis for his success last season.

Ron Bach, sixth in senior points, has two sprint car championships. Bach was a former dwarf car champion. Bach sponsors a number of racers, including senior sprint car champion Ed Niedzwiecki and Bobby Michnowicz, who had a sensational round of races last month in the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Okla.

Mike Grosswendt of All Coast Construction served as the awards banquet guest speaker. Grosswendt is sponsoring a three-race series to provide an opportunity for sprint car drivers to earn extra money during the 2008 season. On Nov. 15, the final night, a sprint car driver could go home with $4,000.

Grosswendt said he first heard about Ventura Raceway 10 years ago when his brother, Pat, brought sprint car driver Chris Wakim to a family barbecue. Now, Grosswendt is one of Wakim's sponsors.

Grosswendt has gone from fan to sponsor to writer to photojournalist to banquet speaker. He spends his weekends involved in Ventura Raceway and writing and updating his vrafa.com Web site and his Surf n Sprint weekly feature in the Ventura Raceway program.

Promoter Jim Naylor said he's excited about the 2008 racing season. Several practice sessions are on the schedule.

Information: http://www.venturaraceway.com.