VETERAN CHRIS LEVENTIS WINS SECOND STRAIGHT PASSCAR STREET STOCK CHAMPIONSHIP By Scott Daloisio (Perris, CA, November 9, 2023) For the second year in a row, Rancho Palos Verdes, California racer Chris Leventis won the PASSCAR Street Stock championship at Perris Auto Speedway. For the veteran driver, it was his fourth title after a couple of decades out of racing. That is right, a couple of decades of not racing. Two-time PASSCAR Street Stock Champion Chris Leventis. Kenny Lonngren photo. Leventis's career began at legendary Ascot Park in Gardena, California. He is one of a dwindling number of racers still in competition who raced at the track located at 190th and Vermont. However, he took time out to raise his sons. Once they were old enough, he returned to the dirt tracks and won a couple of championships driving Super Stocks at Arizona’s Mohave Valley Raceway six or seven years ago. He has been a fixture near the front of the pack in the PASSCAR Street Stocks for several years and now races with his son, George. Let’s sit back and listen to what he has to say about his racing career. PAS: When and where did your racing career start? Leventis: I started out at Ascot years and years ago. I had an old Chevelle I ran out there. My wife got pregnant and the two boys were coming. That was the end of the racing. I had to raise the two boys and then I could come back to racing. I came back about 10 years ago. The kids turned 18 and I was like, let's go racing boys! PAS: Along the way in your comeback, you raced at the Mohave Valley Raceway and actually won a couple of Super Stock championships there. You have had a lot of success at Perris in the Street Stocks. Will you ever return to Super Stocks? Leventis: No, I have been there and done that. I like the street stocks. You know, it is hard racing against these youngsters. You get out of the car after 20 laps and you are winded. These young kids are tough. I like to see the kids win. We are going to help the guy (Casey Bierfeldt) in the Camaro. We are going to give him a tranny, some tires, and some other stuff. We want to get these kids going. Us old men cannot do it forever. PAS: Now, you said you do not want to race super stocks. However, you own one and it won the PAS championship two years ago and is still considered by many to be the fastest Super Stock at the track. Leventis: Yes, Billy Griffin runs with us in the #2. That is a very fast car, but we have had a problem with it kicking the belts off. It is from Affordable Chassis and it is a real good car. You cannot beat it. I have two of those cars. I have the white one he drives and a red one. I could not put him in the red one because the halo is too low. It was too close to his helmet. The white one has a higher halo so we are able to run him in that one. We are going to run that car at Mohave this weekend. Billy is a good man. George is always grilling him. Billy has a lot of experience and he has a lot of wins. PAS: You are headed to Mohave to race the Jerry Dodd Memorial this week. Two weeks ago we had Jerry Dodd Champion’s Night at Perris. Everybody loved Jerry, didn’t they? Leventis: Jerry was always there (at the track) smiling. He talked to me at every race I ever went to at Perris. He was always there. That is a good thing you guys did for Jerry and a good thing they are doing for him this week at Mohave. We are going to go up there with the #2 car (Billy Griffin) and hopefully, we win it. PAS: Your consistency has been amazing the last two years at The PAS. In 17 races dating back to the start of the 2022 season, you have not finished worse than fourth. You have two wins, seven second-place finishes, and you have been third and fourth four times each. It seems like consistency is your first priority. True? Leventis: You know I like to win the main events, but I also like to take my car home in one piece. So, I will step on the brakes rather than wreck my car. If I win every race, it is no fun. Other people have to win, too. When I get my moments, I get my moments. There is some pretty good competition out there. I am going to run next year and go for the championship. If I get it, I get it. PAS: It must be a blast racing against your son, George. How important is it to be out there racing with him? Leventis: I want to see George out there. He is very competitive. He does not cut the old man any slack. He will go around me in a second which I like. It is very competitive and we are having fun. PAS: Does he have what it takes to win a championship like his dad? Leventis: George is going to be fast. He is 26 and he is a natural. He can drive anything. He is still a little bit green. Next year I would not count him out. Every time I turn my back, he is into all of my motors. I have quite a few motors and he is always putting the one he wants in (into his car). He has a good one in there now. It is capable of winning. As you know, if he can go out there and run third with it in the Super Stocks, that is no joke. The top three cars (street stocks) out there I am sure could run with the super Stocks. PAS: You have now won back-to-back PASSCAR Street Stock championships. Was the first one or the second one harder to win? Leventis: It was harder to win the championship the first time. PAS: What made the first one harder to win? Leventis: Figuring out the setup on the car was harder because, you know, we had to stay within the rules. When they changed the rules, that opened up the car for me to get it to work properly. So, with that said after they changed the rules the car became real competitive. It has always been a top three, top five car. I could not get it right until the last couple years. Now that I have it (right), it is actually easy (to drive). PAS: Only two other drivers have won consecutive PASSCAR Street Stock titles. Curtis Dietzch in 2007 and 2008 and Luke Dodd in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Are you planning to try to equal Luke’s record of three in a row next season? Leventis: Absolutely! I’d like to see Luke come back and race. You know, it took me a while to get my car working right. Now, I would like to have the chance to beat him. PAS: It seems like you are always having fun at the races. Leventis: Me and Stefan (Davies), and Sean (Estes), and all those guys. We all BS all the time. It is fun. PAS: Final question. Who helps you with the car? Leventis: Me and George, Frank Perry, Rusty Stewart, and Billy Griffin. We do all the work ourselves. Also Bryce Mulvey. He builds all of the motors and he has the motor package handled. I am always needing motors. In order to win a championship you have to have motors sitting on the shelf. We also have help from, Transmissions West and Chris’ Hauling. To see Chris Leventis launch his attempt for a three-peat, be at The PAS for the 2024 season opener on February 24th. Perris Auto Speedway is conveniently located on the Lake Perris Fairgrounds (home of the Southern California Fair), one hour east of Los Angeles and one hour North of San Diego. To get to the track, take the 215 freeway, exit on the Ramona Expressway, and go three miles east to the fairgrounds. For directions online, the address to enter is: 18700 Lake Perris Drive and the zip code is 92571. USAC/CRA races from Perris Auto Speedway are not streamed online. Fans can stay up to date on track and driver news on The PAS social media efforts at the links below. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Perris-Auto-Speedway/113876798686480?ref=hl  Twitter: Perris Auto Speedway on Twitter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perrisautospeedway/  Website: http://perrisautospeedway.com/  Perris Auto Speedway wants to thank the following corporate partners. Ahern Equipment Rentals, Anderson Chevrolet, Battery Systems, Bud’s Tire, Tire Choice Auto Service, Chris’ Hauling, City of Perris, Communication Innovations, Daytona Boat & RV Storage, Ed Moore Bullet Proof Driveshaft, Flowdynamics, HD Industries, Heimark/Anheuser Busch, Hoosier Tires, Inland Rigging, Living Water’s Hospice, LKQ Pick Your Part, Luke’s Transmission, Moose Racing, Pepsi-Cola, Performance Online, Pole Position Raceway, PrintItNow.com, Rainbow Bolt & Supply, Rene’s Bar & Grill, Rugged Radios, Shaver Specialties, Square H, Sunoco Race Fuels, Trench Shoring, Upland Rock, Varner Construction and Vista Paint. ] For information on 2024 billboard advertising at The PAS, please call 951-940-0134 and ask for Charlie Watson. DVDs of all the PASSCAR/IMCA racing and Nights of Destruction at The PAS are available from Fourvideos. For more information call (714) 225-9500. mailto:perrisautospeedway1@gmail.com is the only authorized Internet address to issue official media news released from The Perris Auto Speedway or Oval Entertainment. PERRIS AUTO SPEEDWAY 2023 SCHEDULE November 11th Heimark Distributors/Anheuser Busch Presents the AMSOIL USAC/CRA SPRINT CARS (30 LAPS), PAS Senior/Young Guns Sprint Cars And Southwest Lightning Sprint Cars THIS SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.