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New Times Music Awards concerts begin tonight! [31]

Save Annie![23]

Shredder

County judges conceal what’s behind police searches [10]Budding young book reviewers step up to the call [26]Travel to Ireland in Orcutt; there’s a great new pub [47]

FILMExpendables: Bloody [39]

There will be mud

A day at the races: Photographer Steve E. Miller

captures the thrills at Santa Maria Speedway [12]

Teenagers to grandparents floor it at the Santa Maria Speedway

every summer weekend PHOTOS BY STEVE E. MILLER

YOUNG GUN: Fourteen-year-old Austin Ruskauff of Santa Maria (car 88) climbs into his mini stock racer as his father watches.

SAFETY FIRST: Fireman Cliff Houston (who’s a professional paramedic in Santa Maria), keeps control of the left side of the

track as a mini stock car drifts around the curve.

Dirt-track daredevils

PHOTOS BY STEVE E. MILLER

STICKY MESS: Mud gets flung everywhere and sticks like glue.

LET ‘EM RIP!: Flagman Tom Peterson starts the race. Goggles shield his eyes from the flying mud; something the photographer should have known.

GATHER ‘ROUND: Drivers and crewmembers assemble for a discussion of race rules, times, and activities.

SMILES ALL AROUND: Crystal, a regular track girl, managed to get everyone to smile.

THERE THEY GO: Jim Pluhar, who’s been the announcer more than 15 years and creates the weekly race program, sits in the booth with scoring officials (R-L) Debbie Jeffers, Stacia Martinez, and Katy Munoz.

LET THE DRIFT BEGIN: Sprint cars take practice laps with style.

CLAY SCULPTER: Tom Breshears, track maintenance guru, takes a breather while the mini stock cars flatten his track.

RAINBOW COLORS: Sprint cars converge for qualifying laps.

PUSHY: The loudest, most powerful vehicle on track is the 4x4 push truck driven by Dennis Patton.

LISTEN: Chris Kearns, track and race promoter,

rides his cruiser around the outside pit area

informing the drivers of the upcoming meeting.

A QUIET MOMENT: Dustin Ensign relaxes against his father’s

car before the big mini-stock race.

THE END: David Casteneda, event services and media rep, enters the race results into the computer, which will eventually be posted on the track website.

MORE PREP: An unknown volunteer wets down the go-kart track for the races the next day and the stands are eerily quiet.

GIVING BACK: The sprint car drivers scoured the stands for the Make A Wish Foundation. They collected more than $1800 for the child beneficiary.

DIRT RACK continued PHOTOS BY STEVE E. MILLER