Camarillo's Charlie Kimball is one step shy of racing in the Formula One series.

This season Kimball joins the Prema Formula Three Euro Series racing team.

"I am extremely excited to be working with Prema as they are one of the best Formula Three teams in the world. Their approach to success, on the technical side as well as the management, is second to none," said Kimball. "I know that with their help I can win races and fight for the Formula Three Euro Series title."

Team owner Angelo Rossin is excited to have Kimball on board.

"The arrival of Charlie Kimball leaves me very pleased and satisfied because he has great experience, but he's also fast, sensible and methodical. I had the chance to appreciate his talent as a rival in the F3 Euro Series and in the World Series of Renault. I'm sure we'll make a great job together as Prema is determined in bringing toward a successful future."

Kimball leaves for Europe on Tuesday, a day before his 23rd birthday. The 11th-year racer is a native of England.

Kimball, a former kart racing champion, was the first American to win an F3 Euro Series race in 2006.

Information: http://www.charliekimball.com.

Hot start: Ventura's Cory Kruseman swept the opening two 30-lap USAC/CRA main events at Perris Auto Speedway.

Kruseman passed Temecula's Mike Spencer seconds before the white flag fell on the 29th lap. Riverside's David Cardey was third and defending series champion Tony Jones was fourth.

Kruseman started in the 12th spot on Saturday and a night earlier, started eighth.

Kruseman has 88 sanctioned West Coast wins in a 410-cubic-inch sprint car, only 15 wins behind Dean Thompson's all-time record. Kruseman, the 2006 series champion, takes a one-point lead over Spencer into this weekend's Copper on Dirt Series at Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix.

Kruseman has 138 points. Ventura's Jimmy Crawford was seventh in Friday night's feature and Camarillo's Josh Ford eighth. Blake Miller, former Ventura Racing Association champion like Crawford, is third in points with 106.

"Everything just kind of went our way tonight. We've got a brand new Viper car and it was great to get a win for our new sponsor, Lucas Oil," Kruseman said following Friday night's victory. "We came here tonight with four cars under our banner and the key is that I have the right people in the right places. Right now, I'm not required to do too much on the cars and can do a little bit more coaching with our driver development program. The biggest difference between this year and last year is that I can concentrate more on my car and just have fun."

Kruseman and the series will be idle next weekend and the racers will go for the jackpot Feb. 28-29 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Motorcycle racing: Thad Wolff of Newbury Park will be in Daytona, Fla., next month for the Vintage Motorcycle Racing Association.

John Richards, the senior sprint car driver at Ventura Raceway, said Wolff will be racing on a 1939 Indian hand shift bike.

Three years ago, Wolff wrote and took photos of his motorcycle trip from Portland, Ore., to Alaska, a fascinating 9,000-mile journey, including 1,500 miles off road. Wolff traveled through British Columbia, the Yukon, Northwest Territory crossing above the arctic circle in Canada and Alaska.